The Deceiver II - Days Are Numbered
by XRinAbyssX
Summary: Rat Man stood from his chair, sending it slamming back against the wall. He placed his hands down onto the back, leaning forward towards them. "All of it has been part of the Trials, you understand? Phase One, to be exact. And now we are still dangerously short of what we need. So we've had to up the ante, and now it's time for Phase Two. It's time for things to get difficult."
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE:**

A Morning Worth Screaming About…

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Day One – Part One - Rescued

She was in the same street as before, but this time her skin had turned a bright red from the sun shining down on her for several hours. She lifted her head off the ground, noticing her wig had disappeared once again, but this time she was wearing a long, flowing white dress with matching white shoes and her hair had been braided with white flowers.

She looked around her as she stood up, noticing that her dress had no trace of dust or dirt, and it almost seemed blinding compared to everything else in the street. She wiped her brow as she took a step forward, trying to navigate herself underneath the blazing sun. It was oddly quiet compared to her other dreams, and there was no sight of those horrible creatures, or the house the little girl had been staying in.

As she walked down the street, she noticed that all the bodies that had been previously lying there had disappeared, along with the blood stains along the road. It was almost as if she was just in purgatory, and she was just in limbo walking down the same street.

After ten minutes, she finally saw something. A figure dressed completely in white like herself, which made her hesitant to approach them. As she got closer, she noticed the figure was a small boy who looked very familiar. Once she was in ten meters of the boy, she finally figured out that the boy was Emil, standing there with a smile on his face.

"Emil…?" she asked, wondering why he was there standing there in her dreams.

" _Hey Leo, so this your home?"_ he asked as he stuck his hand in his pockets, almost as if he was searching for something as he came closer.

"I, I think so…What are you doing here?"

He shrugged as he came closer, pulling her with surprising strength into a hug. She had no idea why, but she felt very unsafe in his grasp, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't escape his grip.

"Emil, let go," she said, but he shook his head.

She then felt a burning pain in her stomach, making her gasp as she felt something piercing the skin. She looked down and saw that Emil had pulled out a knife, the knife that had gone missing in the _Maze_ , and had stabbed her with it. The blood poured out of her, staining the white dress as it started being saturated in the red, copper liquid. She coughed, blood spurting out as it landed on Emil's face, but he continued to smile.

Her body became limp as the pain became too much as she fell out of Emil's grasp, landing with a loud thud on the ground. She had troubles breathing as blood kept coming out of her mouth, the blood from her stomach pouring and leaking out onto the road.

Now she understood why she was wearing all white.

The blood splattered onto Emil, also staining his white shirt as the blood poured onto him.

"I told you I was going to do bad things," he whispered before he dropped the blood soaked knife, the clattering made her hiss. She felt it harder and harder to breathe as her eyes started closing, and she knew she was going to die once again.

How many times did she have to die in her dream before it would really happen?

The last thing she saw was Emil as he walked away, giving a nod to someone who had appeared behind him, dressed all in black as the two walked off together in the darkness…

…

She woke with a start, sweat dripping from her forehead and arms as she tried not to scream. She quickly looked around the room, noticing that she was lying in a bunk bed surrounded by all the other _Gladers_. They were all asleep in their bunk beds, slight snores filling the room. She took deep breaths as she started to relax. She quickly looked over the side and noticed Emil sleeping on the bottom bunk, which made her give an audible sigh of relief.

She wiped the sweat off her body as she closed her eyes, slowly moving the covers off her body to cool her body down. She hadn't had such a terrifying dream since she first dreamed of the creature ripping her eyes out, but this one seemed almost as bad.

She had dreamed that the thirteen year old Emil had stabbed her.

Had killed her.

She shook her head. She knew she was crazy before, but surely this would have been enough to put her into a mental hospital. If those things still existed.

As the snores of the _Gladers_ started to calm her down, she started to relax, knowing that if the others were there, she would be safe. But, she started to become nervous again when she thought of the person dressed in black.

Was the figure all dressed in black supposed to represent WICKED. Even if it didn't, she was still too paranoid not to think it as true. She also wondered why when those people had come in to rescue them, why had WICKED just given up so easily and let them get taken? Wasn't there plan to keep them and test them at any cost?

Had it been WICKED's plan all along for them to be taken by these guys, and then they would force an attack and take them all back? It had seemed a little too easy that WICKED had just given them up, like something even bigger was going to happen.

She wondered if they were still watching her, if they were making sure she kept the wig and chest bindings on to keep her identity a secret. If she had taken off her wig last night, like she had been tempted to do, would they have taken over her body again and made her try to kill them?

This surely could have just been paranoia from being under their constant watch for three entire months, and having the secret to keep hold of, but she couldn't let that be the cost for her or someone else's death.

And even if WICKED was dead and she was out of their control, would she able to admit it to the _Gladers_ that she had been keeping this giant secret from them all this time? Would they start treating her like a traitor and a spy for WICKED? She wouldn't be able to handle it if the only people she had grown close to, quickly shunned her out because of it.

She slowly pushed herself down from the top bunk, letting her feet gently touch the floor to make sure she didn't wake the others. Noticing the window, she took a step closer, wanting to see what the outside world really looked like instead of the fake sky she had come to know.

She slowly opened the coloured curtains, shielding her eyes from the sudden bright light. It was blinding, but that was most likely because she hadn't seen the real sun in months. Maybe the sun had always been this bright, even in darkness and she couldn't remember it.

She squinted as she looked outside, the bars on the windows obstructing her view so she couldn't see much. But what she did see was a figure walking past in the distance. It was a male figure. She wondered if it was one of the guards that had taken them here, or if it was someone who had gotten lost or was seeking help. She took a quick step away though once she noticed that the figure had stopped moving and that it was looking straight at her.

She closed the curtains as much as she could as she took a few steps back, heading back to the "safety" of her bed. She had only made it three steps away before a loud, crashing sound stopped her dead in her tracks. She screamed once she noticed that the man had suddenly moved to the window and was trying to smash it, screaming at her. She quickly ran backwards, stumbling over her own feet.

"Leo, what the _shuck_?" Minho asked as he rubbed his eyes as he walked over to see what was happening. Some of the others had woken up too and had quickly made their way over to her.

"You alright?" Newt asked as he stood behind her, gently touching her shoulder.

She couldn't stop staring at the man at the window. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, filled with an animalistic look. Sores and scars covered his thin, burnt face. He had no hair, only splotches of greenish moss instead, a huge cut along his cheek which showed his disgusting looking teeth through the wound. Pink saliva dripped down his chin as he stared at them with widened eyes.

"That's a lovely thing to see first thing in the morning," Minho said, narrowing his eyes. "Know I see why you screamed."

"What is that _shucking_ thing?!" Frypan asked, his face paling as he pointed at the window and the man behind it.

The man continued to bang on the window, screaming at them as the other _Gladers_ started to wake up and stare out the window. He raised his fist in the air and slammed down, smashing the window as the glass shattered and got stuck in-between the bars.

Some of the _Gladers_ screamed as the man tried to reach through, almost grabbing some that were close to him. His screams were loud as he wore a sadistic smile on his diseased, burnt face.

"He almost grabbed me!" Edwin screamed, rushing to stand behind the three as they all watch in horror as the man continued to scream, shaking as he slammed his hands down onto the bars.

Another bang on the window made Leo scream as she turned to see a woman standing at the window to the right, smashing through as the glass seemed to explode. One of the _Gladers_ ducked down as the pieces fell, one scraping his arm as he gave a cry.

"Kill me!" the woman screamed, carrying the same diseased features as the other man. "Please, kill me!" She thrashed around, almost as if something had grabbed her and was trying to pull her away as she slammed her hands onto the bars.

" _Shuck_ ," Minho said, noticing the window on the left shattering to pieces as well as both a man and a window stood there, snarling at them like they were a piece of meat they couldn't wait to devour.

All of the _Gladers_ that were awake stumbled back as more and more of the creatures appeared at the window. They looked exactly like the creatures in her dreams, which made her shake. Some of the _Gladers_ quickly went into a panic, some screaming, some stumbling over furniture and the creature's horrible squealing sounds filled the air as if they were being tortured.

"What's happening?" Leo asked as she moved as far away as she could from the window. Newt knew she go into a panic at any second, and grabbed hold of her and pulled her close to him to keep her from panicking.

"I don't bloody know!" he shouted, looking around the room.

"Where're those _shanks_ that we're here last night?" Minho asked. "Shouldn't they be killing these things?"

Some of the more curious _Gladers_ tried to look out the window, but at a distance as the creatures continued to try and grab them.

"I'm a _Crank_!" the first man shouted. "I'm a bloody _Crank_!" He kept screaming as the spit flew from his mouth as he shrieked. "Kill me! Kill me! Kill me!"

There seemed to be several more windows around the room with at least one " _Crank_ " smashing on the glass until it shattered as they clung onto the bars.

Thomas stood up from his bed to look out the window, only now just seeming to wake up besides all the noise. Minho placed a hand down on Thomas' shoulder, which made him jump as he spun around, thinking it was one of the creatures.

"They're everywhere," Minho said. "And there's no sign of those _shanks_ who rescued us."

"Have any of them gotten in yet?" Thomas asked. "Do all the windows have these bars?"

Minho gave a nod. "Yeah. It was too dark to notice them last night, especially with those stupid frilly curtains. But I'm sure glad for 'em."

Some of the _Gladers_ had now huddled into small groups, everyone clearly terrified of the creatures slamming on the bars. Just when they'd thought that they'd been rescued, this happens on their first day of freedom.

"Where's Newt? And Leo?" Thomas asked as he searched the room to try and find them.

"Right here," Newt answered as he slowly walked forward, Leo still in his arms.

"What's going on?"

"You think I have a bloody clue? Bunch of crazies want to eat us for breakfast, by the looks of it. We need to find another room, have a _Gathering_. All this noise is driving nails through my bugging skull."

Thomas nodded, however he seemed to be distracted, but it wasn't the " _Cranks_ " that took his attention away.

"Hey! _Gladers_!" Minho yelled over the chaos, trying to get everyone to pay attention. "We need to get out of here!"

"We need a _Gathering_ ," Newt yelled as he tried to compete with the noise.

"Get away from the _Cranks_!" Leo shouted, as everyone started to move and huddle together until they all stood in front of the door. Emil, of course, was still asleep, the sounds of the hysteric " _Cranks_ " not bothering him in the slightest.

She was very hesitant to not only leave Newt's embrace, but also to approach him from her nightmare. But, she quickly shook it off, thinking it was just WICKED messing with her as she ran over to him. "Emil!" she shouted as she shook him until his eyes finally opened. "We have to go! Now!"

He rubbed his eyes as he gave a yawn. "What's going on?"

"Just get up! Now!" she shouted as she roughly pulled his arm and dragged him out of the bed and over to the door. He turned to the window and finally noticed what all the commotion was about.

"W-What are those things?" he asked as she let go of him.

"Just hurry up." She pushed him forward until he was right next to the door, the other _Gladers_ covering up the areas in front of him so that he couldn't see the chaos surrounding the windows. She quickly pushed back through the crowd so she could join Minho and Newt as they stood in front of the door.

The door that led to the common area – where they had eaten dinner the night before - was a bright green, the brass handle almost blinding as the sun reflected off it. As Minho grabbed hold of the handle it, he jerked it open, but nothing happened.

Locked.

Of course it was.

The only other door in the room led to a shower and locker, but there was no way they could exit from there. There was only the locked door and the windows that were covered in bars.

Minho finally gave up on the door as he let Newt have a try, but they both ended up with the same result.

"It's locked," Newt muttered as he moved away.

"Really, genius?" Minho asked, the sarcasm thick in his voice. "No wonder you were named after Isaac Newton – such an amazing ability to think."

"Isaac Newton was a physicist and mathematician who discovered gravity, not knowing if doors were locked," Leo said as she gave a glare at Minho.

"Let's break this bloody handle off," Newt said as he looked around the room, expecting someone to just hand him a sledgehammer or some other kind of weapon.

"I wish those _shuck…Cranks_ would shut up!" Minho yelled as he glared at the closest one, which happened to be a woman with a huge bleeding wound across her face.

" _Cranks_?" Frypan repeated.

"Yeah, _Cranks_ ," Leo confirmed as she made sure she didn't make eye contact with any of the " _Cranks_ " outside.

Minho pointed at the screaming woman. "That's what they keep calling themselves. Haven't you heard it?"

"I don't care if you call 'em pussy willows," Newt snapped. "Find me something to break through this stupid door!"

Wanting to get out of there as fast as possible, Leo looked and saw something stuck to the wall beside her that was a bright red. A fire extinguisher. She pushed some _Gladers_ out of the way as she grabbed hold of it, grunting as she pulled it with all of her strength, ripping it off the hinges which made her fall over to the ground. She quickly lifted it up into the air, which made Newt notice.

He quickly grabbed hold of the red cylinder, lifting it and then slamming it down onto the door's brass handle. There was a loud crack and then a deeper crunching sound. It only took three more hits before the handle crashed to the floor and the door inched outwards, cracked open just enough for them to see the complete darkness on the other side.

Minho took a step over and grabbed Leo's arm, pulling her back to her feet with little effort. "Still light as a feather," he said before he walked forward.

"I can't believe that worked," she said as she brushed herself off.

Newt was quiet as he stared down the long, narrow gap of darkness. He handed the extinguisher back to someone, knowing she wouldn't need it when he saw something else leaning against the wall beside the door.

Once she pushed past to stand beside him, she noticed what it was as well.

It was the metal pole.

Again.

Now she definitely knew WICKED was still involved and they were just playing one last practical joke on her.

"Let's go," Newt said.

"Wait," Frypan called out. "We sure we wanna go out there? Maybe that door was locked for a reason."

"But maybe that's to keep us in here with….them," Leo said, gesturing back to the window.

"But what if it's not?!"

"What else're we gonna do?" Minho asked. "Sit here and wait for those loonies to get in? Come on."

"Those freaks aren't breaking through the window bars anytime soon. Let's just think for a second."

"Time for thinking's done," Minho replied. He kicked the door as it completely swung open, completely dark inside. "Plus, you should've spoken up before we blasted the lock to bits, _slint_ head. Too late now."

"I hate when you're right," Frypan grumbled under his breath.

" _Shuck_ it," Minho said. "I'll go first."

He walked through the door and disappeared into the darkness. Newt had a hesitant look on his face, but he followed behind him anyway. Leo couldn't wait to get out as she bent down and picked up the metal pole. The light of the room behind her did nothing in helping her see what was in front of her. She stuck out the metal pole so she wouldn't bump into anything. She felt like she was blind person using a cane to get her way around.

And then, the smell hit her.

She almost gagged at the smell as she covered her mouth and her nose with one hand, breathing in her own scent which smelled ten times better than the room did.

Minho yelped from up ahead and called back. "Whoa, be careful. Something…weird's hanging from the ceiling."

Knowing she wouldn't be able to reach it because of her short stature, she lifted the pole up into the air to see if he was right. And sure enough, the pole hit something which seemed to swing as soon as the pole touched it.

Newt grunted, the sound of metal dragging across the floor following.

"Newt, you alright?" she asked into the darkness.

"Table," he replied as his answer. "Watch out for tables."

"Does anyone remember where the light switches were?" Frypan asked.

"That's where I'm heading," Newt responded. "I swear I remember seeing a set of them somewhere over here."

As she continued to walk blindly through the room, the pole hit many objects on its path which helped her avoid them. Most of them she assumed were tables and chairs.

Her eyes adjusted slightly, but it was still very hard to see. Her hearing sense increased though she could hear everyone's footsteps behind her and their heavy breathing. Occasionally she would be able to see a shadow of an object, but that was the extent of her eyesight.

"Bluh-huh-huh," Minho said with a groan, like he had stepped into something repulsive.

Another creaking sound filled the room.

"Found it!" Newt shouted.

A few clicks sounded before the room suddenly filled with light, making Leo groan as she covered her eyes, stumbling backwards from being blinded. As she walked forward, she bumped into Newt by accident, who quickly grabbed her wrist before she fell to the ground.

"Whoa!" Minho yelled.

Leo uncovered her eyes as she squinted, looking around the room. She gasped, almost screaming at the sight.

Throughout the room, people were hanging from the ceiling – at least a dozen of them, both male and female. They'd been strung up their necks, the rope twisted into their bloated skin. Their dead bodies swung to the side ever so slightly, their pale pink tongues hanging out of their mouths. Their eyes were wide open, almost as if they were staring at them even in death.

Now she knew why the room smelled so bad, because it was the smell of rotting corpses. They must have been dead for a couple of hours, so while they were sleeping these people had been murdered and hung.

Thomas dropped down to his knees in shock.

"Oh my god," she whispered as she realised that the people that were hanging were the people that had rescued them from WICKED.

Thomas didn't look back at the bodies as he stood back up, walking over to them along with Minho, everyone else staring in fear and shock at the dead bodies of their "rescuers".

Minho swore under his breath.

Leo quickly moved over to the corner and vomited, both the sight and smell making her feel sick. She could others gagging as well, which prompted her even more. She continued until she was just hurling up nothing, which caused her to lean with her back against the wall, tears leaking from her eyes.

 _Gladers_ were screaming as Thomas bent over, wrapping his arms around his stomach with his eyes closed, frowning as if he was in pain.

Leo wiped her mouth as she tried to stand back up, her legs shaking from the lack of energy she had left.

"Tommy," Newt said as he squeezed his shoulder. "What's bloody wrong with you?"

Thomas opened his eyes as he realised what he was doing and he quickly straightened himself up. "What…what do you think? Look around us."

"Yeah, but you looked like you were in pain or something."

"I'm fine – just trying to reach her in my mind. But I can't."

Thomas looked very uncomfortable as he answered. During what had happened recently, Leo had almost forgotten that Teresa and Thomas were telepathic. She still questioned how that could be possible, but it was most likely that WICKED had installed something into their brains that made it possible.

"Do you know where she was taken last night?" Leo asked as she pushed herself away from the wall, regaining some strength back.

Thomas shook his head. "We've gotta find where they put her."

"He's right," Minho said, addressing the entire group. "Spread out, find her!"

"Might've already."

Thomas walked over towards a yellow door with a brass handle, dodging the tables and the hanging bodies that were in his way. The door was closed, which meant that it was most likely locked. Though they weren't sure if that was from the outside to keep the person inside out or from the inside to keep them out.

But neither mattered to Thomas.

"Someone grab that fire extinguisher!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Winston, go get it," Minho ordered as Winston quickly ran back to the room.

Thomas reached the door and tried the handle, but it didn't move.

Locked, but they had already figured that much.

Leo took a step closer to the door, noticing something hanging beside it. Small, clear plastic hung on the wall to the right with a sheet of paper slipped inside, black words typed out.

 **Teresa Agnes Group A, Subject A-1**

 **The Betrayer**

She gulped as she read the last word. Betrayer? Was that what WICKED called her? It sent a shiver up her spine as she backed away from the door, wondering what kind of bad things could happen to them because of her.

From what she had gathered, all of the boys, including herself, had been named after famous scientists. But, she knew there was no scientist called Teresa. The only person who she could think of that had that name would have been Mother Teresa, whose Macedonian name roughly translated in English to Agnes.

The thought of comparing this Teresa to Mother Teresa seemed almost like an insult to the woman who had done so much as a Roman Catholic.

She raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Thomas, noticing that he was in some sort of trance as he stared at the words written on the paper. Minho snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. "Hello? Calling Thomas? Not a good time to day dream. Lots of dead bodies, smells like Frypan's pits. Wake up."

Thomas turned to him. "Sorry," he said. "Just thought it was weird that Teresa's last name was Agnes."

Minho clicked his tongue. "Who cares about that? What's this freaking stuff about her being the 'Betrayer'?"

"And what's 'Group A, Subject A-1' mean?" Newt asked.

"Maybe that's how WICKED knows who we are?" Leo said.

Newt shrugged, handing the fire extinguisher over to Thomas. "Anyway, your turn to break a bugging door handle."

Thomas quickly grabbed hold of it as he slammed it against the door handle. Two smashes later and the handle clattered on the floor, the door opening an inch. He threw the extinguisher to the side as he grabbed the door, swinging it all the way open as he stepped into the lightened room.

"Teresa!" he shouted.

Newt and Leo quickly walked into the room, which was a smaller version of the dorm that they all had slept in – four bunk beds, two dressers and a closed door. All of the beds were neatly made expect one, the blankets tossed to the side and the pillow hanging off the edge. But, there was no sign of Teresa, let alone anybody. The sound of a toilet flushing came from behind the closed door, making Thomas start walking towards it.

"Not a good decision," Leo announced as she folded her arms.

Thomas turned around, raising his eyebrows. "Why?" he asked before he continued walking towards the bathroom. Newt had to grab his arm to make him stop, shaking his head.

"You're used to living with a bunch of boys," he said. "I don't think it's polite to go stomping into the bloody ladies' room. Just wait till she comes out."

"Then we need to get everybody in here and have a _Gathering_ ," Minho added. "It doesn't stink in here, and there aren't any windows for _Cranks_ to scream at us."

"I wonder why," Leo muttered.

"I wish she'd hurry up," Thomas murmured as he stared at the door.

"I'll get everyone over here," Minho said as he walked back out into the common area.

Newt, Leo, Frypan and a few other _Gladers_ pushed their way into the room, taking seats down on the beds. Some of them had their elbows on their knees, others rubbing their hands together as worry filled their heads.

Leo gulped as she sat down next to Newt, reaching for his hand to make sure he was still there. She sighed in relief when he interlocked their fingers, and that was really all she needed.

In the silent room, there was a sudden click which made Thomas jump. The handle on the door turned; the door opened as it swung towards him. He stepped forward, but the person who walked wasn't who they were expecting.

It was a boy.

He had on clean pyjamas with a button up shirt and flannel plants of a light blue colour. He had olive skin and his hair was dark and surprisingly cut short for what he looked like. He seemed very innocent, which meant he was probably younger than most of them.

"Who are you?" Thomas asked, anger laced thick in his voice.

Newt stood up, standing closer to the unknown boy. "Don't bloody mess around. There are a lot more of us than there are of you. Tell us who you are."

The boy folded his arms. "Fine. My name's Aris. What else you wanna know?"

"Unless you want to start a fight, I suggest you drop the attitude, none of us are in a particularly good mood right now," Leo said as she stood up.

Aris almost scoffed, but he held himself back as he looked at everyone's faces.

"How'd you get here?" Thomas asked. "Where's the girl who slept here last night?"

"Girl? What girl? I'm the only one here, and it's been that way since they put me here last night."

Thomas pointed back over to the direction of the door. "There's a sign right out there that says this is her room. Teresa…Agnes. No mention of a _shank_ named Aris."

"Look, man, I don't know what you're talking about. They put me in here last night, I slept in that bed-" he pointed to the one with the rumpled sheets "-and I woke up about five minutes ago and took a pee. Never heard the name Teresa Agnes in my life. Sorry."

Newt shrugged when Thomas had glanced at him for his opinion. "Who put you in here last night?"

Aris threw his arms into the air, letting them come back down and slap against his sides. "I don't even know, man. A bunch of people with guns who rescued us, told us everything would be okay now."

"Rescued you from what?" Thomas asked.

Aris looked down at the floor, his shoulders fell as he sighed. He looked back up at Thomas, terror written in his eyes.

"From the Maze, man. From the Maze."


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO:**

Marked With Ink In Our Sleep…

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Day One – Part Two - Rescued

Well, that was unexpected.

The room was silent as everyone stared at Aris in shock, wondering if they had heard him correctly. The Maze? They had never seen him before, so how would that have been possible?

But, he didn't seem like he was lying. The terror on his face was the same look most of the _Gladers_ had when they talked or remembered something about the _Maze_. Maybe he was just that good at acting, but she highly doubted it.

"Maybe you should sit down," Thomas said. "I think we have a lot to talk about."

"What do you mean?" Aris asked. "Who are you guys? Where'd you come from?"

"The _Maze_. The _Grievers_. WICKED. You name it."

"What a small world," Leo muttered. Aris glanced over at her, his face becoming paler once he looked back at Thomas.

"You're lying," he whispered.

"No, we're not," Newt said. "Tommy's right. We need to talk. Sounds like we've come from similar places."

"Who's that guy?"

Leo turned around to the doorway to see that Minho had come back with a bunch of the _Gladers_ standing behind him. Their eyes were still filled with terror from witnessing the dead bodies, and their faces were scrunched from the smell.

"Minho, meet Aris," Thomas said. "Aris, meet Minho."

"Don't worry, the guy's safe," Leo said. "Well, mostly safe."

Minho muttered out a few unintelligible words, as if he couldn't decide on what he should say.

"Look," Newt said. "Let's take down these top bunks and move them around the room. Then we can all sit and figure out what's bloody going on."

Thomas shook his head. "No. First, we need to go find Teresa. She must be in some other room."

"Isn't one," Minho said.

"What do you mean?"

"I just checked this whole place out. There's the big common area, this room, our dorm room, and some seriously shucked doors that lead outside – where we came in from the bus yesterday. Locked and chained from the inside. Doesn't make any sense, but I don't see any other doors or exits."

"Are you saying she's just disappeared? Gone?" Leo asked.

Minho shrugged. "There's no sign of her."

Thomas shook his head in confusion. "But…what about last night? Where'd the food come from? Didn't anyone notice other rooms, a kitchen, anything?"

He looked around the room, begging for an answer that no one could give him.

"Maybe there's a hidden door," Newt said. "Look, we can only do one thing at a time. We need to-"

"No!" Thomas shouted. "We've got all day to talk to his Aris guy. The label by the door said Teresa should be here somewhere – we need to find her!"

"Thomas! We need to think about this-" Leo started.

Thomas pushed past the boys at the door and bolted out of the room, heading into the common area.

Newt sighed, rubbing his neck. " _Shucking_ idiot," he muttered.

"He's not gonna find anything," Minho said. "Trust me, I looked all over."

"So while he's gone looking, why don't we start setting up?" Leo asked.

Newt nodded. "Good that, start getting the top bunks down here," he ordered. The rest of the _Gladers_ quickly got to work, working together to pull the mattresses off of the wooden bed and down to the ground.

Leo stood beside the bunk bed as she tried to reach for the mattress on top, but because of her short stature, her arms wouldn't reach. She groaned as she jumped to try and reach it, but she couldn't hold onto it for long.

With her little grip, she tried pulling it which only ended up with her falling down to the ground as the weight was too much. "Dammit," she cursed. She noticed the mattress being slowly lifted off the top bunk and down onto the ground. She looked up and saw Newt standing there with a smirk on his face as he bent down to help her stand.

"We told you, you were short," he said.

"I figured that much," she said as he pulled her back up to her feet.

"You could have asked for help you know," he replied.

"But it's much more fun this way," she said, giving a smirk.

Minho grabbed the mattress off the ground and placed it against the walls besides the other ones, creating enough space for the twenty-one Gladers and Aris to sit in a circle and face each other.

"What is this? Story time?" Leo asked as she sat down on one of the mattresses.

"We've done weirder _klunk_ ," Minho said, taking a spot down on the left side of her. Newt took a seat on the right, giving each other a smile which made Minho roll his eyes. "We're in public," he said.

Finally, Thomas walked through the door, surprised by the amount of change that had happened in the room in the five minutes he had been gone. When Minho spotted him in the doorway, he patted the empty spot on the mattress next to him.

"Told ya, dude. Have a seat and let's talk. We waited on you. But close that shuck door as much as you can first – smells worse than Gally's rotting feet out there."

Without saying anything, Thomas shut the door behind him, then walked over and sat down.

"All right, let's get started on the bloody storytelling so we can get to the real problem – finding something to eat," Newt said.

At the thought of food, Leo's stomach growled, but she guessed because no one looked at her their stomachs were rumbling as well. Food haven't occurred to her until that moment.

"Good that," Minho said. "Talk, Aris. Tell us everything."

Aris sat directly across the room from them. He shook his head. "No way. You guys go first."

"Yeah?" Minho responded. "How about we all just take turns beating the living _klunk_ out of your shuck face? Then we'll ask you to talk again."

"Minho," Newt said. "There's no reason-"

Minho pointed at Aris. "Please, dude. For all we know this shank could be one of the _Creators_. Somebody from WICKED, here to spy on us. He could've killed those people out there – he's the only one we don't know and the doors and windows are locked! I'm sick of him acting all snooty when we've got twenty-one guys to his one. He should talk first."

Though Minho was a bit over the top with his speech, he did have a point. They had only just met this kid and he had just appeared out of nowhere in what was supposed to be Teresa's room. Could they really trust anything he said?

Newt sighed, looking over at Aris. "He's got a point. Just tell us what you meant about coming from the buggin' Maze. That's where we escaped from, and we obviously haven't met you."

Aris rubbed his eyes. "Fine, listen. I was thrown into this gigantic maze made out of huge stone walls – but before that my memory was erased. I couldn't remember anything my life from before. I just knew my name. I lived there with a bunch of girls. There must have been fifty of them, and I was the only boy…well, never mind. We escaped a few days ago – the people who helped kept us in a big gym for a few days, then moved me here last night – but no one explained anything. What's this stuff about you being in a maze, too?"

It seemed almost insane at how he described it like he was just going to the store. It seemed so strange to think that there were two _Mazes_ built.

"Wait a minute," Newt said. "You lived in a big maze, on a farm, where walls closed every night? Just you and a few dozen girls? Were there creatures called _Grievers_? Were you the last one to arrive? And did everything go buggin' nuts when you did? Did you come in a coma? With a note that said you were the last one ever?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Aris said before he had finished. "How do you know all this? How…"

"It's the same _shuck_ experiment," Minho said. "Or same…whatever. But they had all girls and one boy, we had all boys and one girl. WICKED must've built two of those mazes, run two different tests!"

"Did they call you the _Trigger_?" Thomas asked.

Aris nodded.

"And could you…Could you speak to one of those girls inside your mind? Ya know, like telepathically?"

Aris' eyes widened as he stared at Thomas.

The two boys become quiet as they stared at each other, neither of them making a sound or moving.

"Uh, you guys okay?" Leo asked.

"What's going on?" Newt asked. "Why're you guys looking at each other like you just fell in love?"

"He can do it, too," Thomas said, continuing to stare.

"Do what?" Frypan asked.

"What do you think?" Minho asked. "He's a freak like Thomas. They can talk in each other's heads."

"…You've got to be kiddin' me," Leo muttered.

Newt glared at Thomas. "Seriously?"

Thomas nodded. "Who killed her? What happened?"

"Wait, killed?" Leo asked.

"Who killed who?" Minho asked. "No more of your voodoo _klunk_ while we're around."

Thomas finally looked over at Minho, his eyes watering. "He had someone he could do this with, just like I did. I mean…do. But he said they killed her. I want to know who they are."

Aris' head dropped, his eyes closed. "I don't really know who they are. It's too confusing. I couldn't tell the bad guys from the good guys. But I think somehow they made this girl Beth…stab…my friend. Her name was Rachel. She's dead, man. She's dead."

He covered his face with his hands, obviously trying not to sob.

So, she gathered that Aris was the male version of Teresa, Beth was the female version of Gally and that Rachel was the female version of Thomas. So, Rachel and been killed by Beth, which meant that Thomas was supposed to have been killed by Gally, but Chuck got in the way of that happening.

Could that have possibly meant that there was a male inside Aris' _Maze_ that was dressed as a girl, a note in his pocket saying they'll kill if he reveals his secret? And did Aris know about it?

"Well, how'd you end up with us?" Newt asked. "Where are all these girls you keep talking about? How many of them escaped with you? Did they bring all of you here or just you?"

Aris wiped a couple of tears from his face as he looked up, showing that he had no shame in hiding his tears. "Look," he said. "I'm just as confused as everyone else. About thirty of us survived, they took us to that gym, fed us, cleaned us up. Then they brought me to this place last night, saying I should be separate since I'ma guy. That's it. Then you _sticks_ show up."

" _Sticks_?" Minho asked.

Aris shook his head. "Never mind. I don't even know what it means. Just a word they used when I got there."

"Hey," Emil called. Leo turned to see him leaning against the wall behind Aris, pointing at him. She had almost forgotten he was there. "What's that on the side of your neck? Something black, right below your collar."

Aris tried to look at his neck, but it was hopeless. "What?"

Leo saw a black spot right above the back neckline of his pyjama shirt as he moved around, trying to see. It was almost like a thin line, stretching out from the hollow of his collarbone to his back.

"Here, let me look," Newt offered. He stood up from the bed and walked over, his limp showing more than usual, which made her heart ache. He reached out, pulling Aris' shirt down a little so he could see the odd marking.

"It's a tattoo," Newt said, squinting.

"What's it say?" Minho asked, though he'd already gotten off the bed and walked over to them.

Leo quickly rushed over, thinking the worst as she tried to look at the marking. She noticed Thomas standing behind her, leaning over her shoulder.

Her arms got covered with goosebumps as she read the lettering.

 **Property of WICKED Group B, Subject B-1. The Partner.**

"What's that supposed to mean?" Minho asked.

"What does it say?" Aris asked, reaching around to his neck and shoulders. "I swear it wasn't there last night!"

"Property of WICKED? I thought we'd escaped from them," Newt said. "Or you'd escaped them, too. Whatever." He turned around, going back to sit down.

"And why would it call you the _Partner_?" Minho asked.

Aris shook his head. "I don't have a clue. I swear. And there's no way that was there before last night. I showered, looked in the mirror. I would've seen it. And someone would've noticed it back in the _Maze_ for sure."

"You're telling me they tattooed you in the middle of the night?" Minho asked. "Without you noticing? Come on, dude."

"I swear!" He then went to the bathroom, going to see for himself.

"I don't believe a shuck word he says," she heard Minho whisper as he went back to his seat.

Leo sighed as she walked back and sat down. Minho sat down next to her, his shirt shifting a bit to reveal a thick line of black on his neck.

"Whoa!" Thomas said.

"Holy _shuckin_ ' hell!" Leo said as she stood back up.

"What?" Minho asked.

"Your – your neck," Thomas said. "You have it on your neck, too!"

"What the shuck you talkin' about?" Minho said, pulling at his shirt.

Thomas and Leo ran over to him as Thomas slapped his hands away, pulling the neckline of his shirt back.

"Holy…It's right there! Same thing, expect…"

 **Property of WICKED Group A, Subject A-7. The Leader.**

"What, dude!" Minho yelled.

"Group A," Leo muttered as the rest of the _Gladers_ huddled around to see. Thomas read out the words aloud so Minho could hear them.

"You're kiddin' me, man," Minho said as he stood up. He pushed his way through the crowd to the bathroom.

Then the other boys started checking each other's necks for tattoos.

"They all say Group A."

"Property of WICKED, just like his."

"You're Subject A-thirteen."

"Subject A-nineteen."

"A-three."

"A-ten."

She noticed Newt walking over to her, so she turned around and let him her shirt down a little to see her neck. She felt him gently touch her neck, obviously tracing over the black ink that marked her skin.

"Please, how bad is it?" she asked as she turned her head to face him. He gave a sigh as he looked back down at the marking, than at her.

 **Property of WICKED Group A, Subject A-21. The Deceiver.**

Once she heard, she grabbed hold of her neck, where Newt still had his hand and tried to cover the marking. "No," she whispered, and he gave a nod. She quickly turned her head to look at all the other _Gladers_ , worrying about what they would say if they saw hers. Some of them hadn't even been given a title, which made her feel real special.

"What does mine say?" Newt asked, already knowing what hers meant.

She turned around to see him with his back facing her. She walked closer, gently pulling down the neckline of his shirt to read the word, trying to figure out what they meant. She traced over the words like he'd done with her, making him turn to glance at her.

"What does it say?" he asked again.

 **Property of WICKED Group A, Subject A-5. The Glue.**

"The _Glue_?" Newt asked.

"Yeah," Thomas said as he stood beside them. "Probably because you're kind of the glue that holds us all together. I don't know. Read mine."

"I already did-"

Newt didn't finished as a look of dread came over his face.

"Well?" Thomas asked.

Newt hesitated, looking away from him. "It doesn't call you anything. It just says…'To be killed by Group B'."

"Killed?" Leo asked as she looked at Thomas in shock.

Thomas wasn't given time to process when a loud bell began ringing throughout the room. She held her hands to her ears, almost in shock.

How? It was the exact same sound when the _Box_ would show up with a new boy. The _Greenie Alarm_. Why was it playing? How was it playing? It echoed throughout the room, making her ears ring.

And it wouldn't stop.

The _Gladers_ ran around the room, gawking at the walls and the roof, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from. Some sat down on the beds, hands pressed to their heads as if it was torture.

Leo couldn't see anything. No speakers, heating or air-conditioning vents, nothing. Just the loud sound.

Newt grabbed Thomas' arm. "It's the bloody _Newbie_ alarm!"

"I know!"

"Why's it ringing?"

"And why is it so loud!" Leo screamed as she closed her eyes, feeling a headache forming behind her eyes.

Thomas shrugged.

Minho and Aris had finally come back from the bathroom, both of them rubbing their necks, almost as if they were trying to remove it themselves. They quickly realised without even questioning it that everyone else had similar tattoos.

Frypan walked over to the door that led to the common area, placing a hand on the spot where the handle had been before Thomas had smashed it off.

"Wait!" Thomas shouted as he ran over to join Frypan at the door.

"Why?" Frypan asked.

"I don't know," Thomas said. "It's an alarm. Maybe something really bad is happening."

"Yeah! And maybe we need to get out of here!"

Frypan pushed on the door, but it wouldn't budge. No matter how hard he pushed, even with his full bodyweight, the door wouldn't move.

Still nothing. It was closed shut, almost as if they were locked out.

"You broke the shuck handle!" Frypan screamed, slapping the door.

Thomas leaned against the wall, folding his arms. Leo rubbed her temples, her body tired as her brain went around in circles. Most of the _Gladers_ seemed run-down and tired, almost as if they were giving up.

And then, the alarm stopped.

The room was in silence as everyone realised that the sound had stopped. Leo tapped her ears to stop the loud aftermath of ringing. In the silence, any breath someone took seemed like an explosion compared to the quiet.

"Don't tell me we're still gonna get bloody _Newbies_ thrown in our laps," Newt said.

"Where's the _Box_ in this _shuck_ place?" Minho muttered sarcastically.

"They don't need a _Box_. They can walk through the door," Leo said.

Then, the door creaked open, swinging several inches as the darkness now marked where it stood. Someone had turned the lights back off in the other room while they had been inside here.

Frypan took a step back in shock.

"This day just keeps getting better and better," Leo said as she folded her arms.

"Guessing they want us to go out there now," Minho said.

"Why don't you go first," Frypan said.

Minho had already started walking. "No problem. Maybe we'll have a new little shank to pick on and kick in the butt when we got nothing else to do." He'd made it to the door, then paused. He turned to Thomas. "We could use another Chuck."

"Yeah," Thomas said. "You going through or you need me to go first?"

"What did your tattoo say?" Minho responded.

"Doesn't matter. Let's go out there."

Minho nodded, then smiled. "Good that. If some zombie starts eating my leg, save me."

"Deal."

Minho pushed the door opened. The common room was as dark as it had been when they'd first left their room. He stepped through the doorway, Thomas following right behind him.

Leo went next and Newt followed, the _Gladers_ huddling together in a small group.

"Wait here," Minho whispered. "No need playing bumper cars with the dead folks again. Let me find the light switches first."

"Why would they have turned them off?" Thomas asked. "I mean, who turned them off?"

"To mess with us?" Leo answered.

Minho looked back at them. "Why do you even bother asking questions, dude? Nothing has ever made sense and it probably never will. Now slim it and sit still."

And then, Minho was gone into the darkness.

"Here they are!" Minho shouted after a while from across the room.

A few clicks and then the light shined throughout the room. As she squinted to get her eyesight back, she noticed something different about the room. Once her eyes adjusted again, she realised that the smell of rotting corpses had vanished. She saw why.

The dead bodies that had been hanging were gone. There was no sign that they had ever even been there.

"This is impossible," Newt said as he stood in the middle of the room. He turned in a slow circle, looking up at the ceiling. "Not enough time passed for someone to get them out. And no one else even came into this bugging room. We would've heard them!"

"You're right," Minho said. "We were in there with the door closed for, what, twenty minutes? No way anyone could've moved all those bodies that quickly. Plus, this place is locked them the inside."

"Not to mention getting rid of the smell," Thomas added.

"And the room looks completely spotless," Leo said.

Minho nodded.

"Well, you _shanks_ are right smart," Frypan said. "But take a look around. They're gone. So whatever you think, somehow they got rid of them."

"Hey," Winston said. "Those crazy people quit screaming and yelling."

"I thought we just couldn't hear them from Aris' room. But you're right – they stopped," Thomas said.

"Maybe they just gave up and left?" Leo asked, hoping for the best.

Soon, everyone quickly ran for the dorm room. As Leo ran through the door, she stopped in her tracks at what she saw.

"What the hell?!" Leo asked.

"No way!" Minho yelled.

As all the other _Gladers_ quickly made their way into the room, everyone fell silent as they stared at the where the windows had been. Expect they weren't windows anymore. Instead of broken glass, it was a wall of red bricks behind iron bars, blocking any view of the outside. The only light in the room came from the panels in the ceiling.

"Even if they were quick with those bodies," Newt said. "I'm pretty sure they didn't have time to bloody throw up some brick walls. What's going on here?"

Minho walked over to one of the windows, reached through the bars and pressed his hand against the red brick. "Solid," he said.

"It doesn't even look fresh," Thomas muttered as he stepped up to get a feel. "The mortar's dry. Somehow they've tricked us, that's all."

"Tricked us?" Frypan asked. "How?"

"It's an illusion," Leo said.

"Remember the _Cliff_? We jumped into thin air and went through an invisible hole. Who knows what these people can do," Thomas said.

The next half an hour passed in a blur, everyone in the room inspecting the brick walls as they looked for any kind of sign of something else that had changed. All of the beds were made and there was no sign of the dirty clothes they had worn before they'd changed into their pyjamas.

The dressers had been rearranged, though the difference was very subtle. Each one had been stocked with fresh clothes and shoes and about twenty digital watches – one for each of them.

However, when Minho had gone searching outside of the room – he had discovered something that had changed outside the room where they had met Aris. Originally it had said:

 **Teresa Agnes, Group A, Subject A-1** **  
** **The Betrayer**

But, now it had been replaced with:

 **Aris Jones, Group B, Subject B-1** **  
** **The Partner**

WICKED just loved playing with their minds, didn't they?

 _Bloody shucking hell. Freaking bastards._


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THREE:**

Starvation Creates An Animal…

* * *

Day One – Part Three - Rescued

While everyone looked around the dorm, trying to find something that could help them, Thomas kept himself at a distance from everyone. She assumed this was because Teresa was still missing even after they had spent pretty much half of the day searching for her. And for that reason, Thomas looked the worst out of all of them, which was saying a lot.

His eyes would close every so often, obviously trying to connect with her in his mind but there was no answer from her.

"Thomas," she said once he opened his eyes again. "Relax." He looked around the room before he shook his head.

"Where is she?" he muttered as he sat himself down on one of the beds.

"I don't know, but she can't have just disappeared." She bent down to touch his shoulder. "You'll find her eventually."

" _Eventually_ is too long."

She nodded, knowing how it must have felt. Obviously him and Teresa were close from knowing each other before the _Maze_ , and she knew that she would be exactly the same as Thomas if Newt had gone missing. But, she wasn't too worried about Teresa, mostly because if WICKED did have her, they weren't going to do anything bad to her because she used to work for them.

She looked around the room, noticing Emil's stare that made her shiver. It was cold, but also blank at the same time. She quickly looked back at Thomas, knowing that after her dream she wouldn't be able to look at the boy in the same way anymore.

"But it's better than never," she mentioned, standing back up. The other _Gladers_ started leaving the room to go and search in the halls again, some staying behind to keep an eye on the dorm.

"Get some rest Thomas. You look about the worst out of all of us."

"I _feel_ the worst."

"Even more of a reason to get some rest."

He gave a reluctant nod, knowing that he wouldn't really be able to focus on resting with Teresa in his mind. But he lied down and turned his body to face the wall, avoiding everyone's glances. Soon, he was in a deep sleep, so much that he barely moved, even to breathe.

"Must've been worried," Newt said as he looked down at his sleeping figure.

"The ones you care for do take the most energy out of you, huh?" Leo said as she gave him a smile. "You were the same."

"Hmm," Newt said with a nod as he looked at the rest of the _Gladers_ in the room. "Everyone's a bit more relaxed now…Bloody Tommy did it again."

The others sighed as they headed out of the room to go and find the others, the worry seeming to leave their bodies as exhaustion took over. Emil walked past as he bumped into her, making her stumble from the hit to her arm. He didn't say a word as he placed a hand into his right pocket, like he was checking something was still inside before he left the room.

"What's his bugging problem?" Newt asked.

She shook her head. "Hopefully lack of sleep. _Shank_ always got grumpy when he didn't get enough sleep at night."

She sat herself down on one of the beds on the opposite side of the room, thoughts racing as she thought of her dream and what kind of meaning it might have had. And before that he said he was going to do "bad things".

Was that why he was avoiding her so much?

Because he was going to do something bad to _her_? Like, murder?

Newt noticed something was wrong as he sat down beside her, placing his hand on her knee. "You alright?" he asked, which made her shake her head with a sigh. She laced her fingers together as she felt her palms becoming sweaty.

"He said something…strange last night, before we all went to sleep."

"Minho strange or _Creators_ strange?" Newt asked, which almost made her want to laugh.

"WICKED strange," she answered, taking a deep breath. "He said he was going to do 'bad things' and that I shouldn't hate him…Then he went to sleep like he had been taken over by them and…" She looked over at him, her eyebrows knotted in confusion. "What's going on?"

"Maybe Gally was right," he said as he glanced down at his hands with a frown. "Maybe we should have locked him in the _Slammer_."

"Do you think he-?"

"He could work for them? Sure I bloody do. Remembering more than us, acting strange when Tommy arrived, what he said…He's getting as suspicious as Teresa."

"…And just when we'd thought we'd escaped from it all," she muttered, lowering her head to rest it on Newt's shoulder.

"We'll find a way…We always do," he whispered as he started playing with her hands, making her close her eyes in the now comfortable silence. Her stomach churned from the lack of food. They hadn't eaten anything since dinner from the night before, and that would have been at least over ten hours ago.

She wondered if any of the other _Gladers_ , including Newt, felt the same dread and hunger that she did, hoping that she wasn't just going insane.

But she could never be too sure.

…

"He's awake," Newt announced. Leo leaned against the wall beside the door, the two of them watching as Thomas started to open his eyes, rubbing them to make sure he was fully awake.

"Glad to see you still know how to take a nap."

"How long's it been?" Thomas asked.

"You haven't missed much if you're wondering," Leo said. Thomas nodded, glad that he wouldn't have to look weak compared to everyone else who were still working outside the room.

Newt looked at his watch. "Couple hours. When people noticed you lie down, it actually kind of relaxed everyone. Not much we can do but sit and wait for something new to happen. There's no way out of this place."

Thomas pushed himself up to sit, his back against the wall at the head of his bed. "Do we even have any food?"

"No. But I'm pretty sure these people wouldn't go through all this trouble to bring us here, trick us or whatever they've done, just to let us bugging starve to death. Something will happen. Reminds me of when they sent the first group of us to the Glade. The initial group of me and Alby and Minho and some others. The original _Gladers_."

"How does _this_ remind you of _that_?"

"We all woke up in the middle of the day, lying on the ground around the doors to the _Box_. It was closed. Our memories had been wiped, just like yours when you came. You'd be surprised at how quickly we pulled ourselves together and quit panicking. There were about thirty of us. Obviously, we had no bloody clue what had happened, how we'd gotten there, what we were supposed to do. And we were terrified, disoriented. But since we were all in the same crappy situation, we organised ourselves and figured out the place. Had the full farm running within days, everybody with their own job."

"So the _Creators_ just had everything set up? Food, animals, shelter?" Leo asked.

Newt nodded. "Yeah, but it took a ton of work to get it going nice and smooth. A lot of trial and error before we accomplished anything."

"So…how does _this_ remind you of _that_?" Thomas asked.

"I guess back then we all just had a sense that there was obviously a purpose to us having been sent there. If someone had wanted to kill us, why wouldn't they have just killed us? Why would they send us to a huge place with a house and a barn and animals? And because we had no other choice, we accepted it and started working and exploring."

"We're like the original _Gladers_ ," Leo said. "They want us to figure out what we're here for and why."

"But we're already done exploring here," Thomas said. "No animals, no food, no _Maze_."

"Yeah, but come on. It's the same concept," Newt said. "We're obviously here for a buggin' purpose. We'll figure it out eventually."

"If we don't starve first."

"Way to be optimistic," Leo muttered as Thomas glared.

Newt pointed to the bathroom. "We've plenty of water, so it'll be at least a few days before we drop dead. Something will happen?"

"But what about all those dead people we saw? Maybe they rescued us for real, got killed, and now we're screwed. Maybe we were supposed to do something, but now it's all been messed up and we're been left here to die."

Newt burst out into laughter. "You're one depressing piece of _klunk_ , _slint_ head. Nah, with all those corpses magically disappearing and the brick walls, I'd say this is something more like the _Maze_. Weird and impossible to explain. The latest and greatest mystery. Maybe our next test, who knows. Whatever's going on, we'll have a chance, just like we did in the bloody _Maze_. I guarantee it."

"Yeah," Thomas muttered. "Hope you're right. As long as no _Grievers_ suddenly show up, we'll be good."

"Don't remind me," Leo said as she shook her head.

"Please, man. Careful what you bugging wish for. Maybe they'll send something worse."

"Who's the cheerful one now?" Thomas said.

"You got me," Newt replied, standing up. "Guess I'll go bug somebody else till the excitement begins, which better be bloody soon. I'm hungry."

"Careful what you wish for."

"Good that."

Newt walked out of the room, heading out into the hallway where the other _Gladers_ were. She closed her eyes with a sigh, wondering what was going to happen to them next. They'd just escape one living nightmare, and now they were being forced to face another one.

She tightly held onto her stomach as she tried to calm down the growing hunger, but nothing worked. She walked to the bathroom and took a sip of water to try and calm it down, but that didn't do much either. She slammed her hands down onto the sink before she stomped out into the hallway to join the others, all of them feeling the same pains.

Physically and emotionally.

* * *

Day Three – Part One - Rescued

Hunger.

That one word sent her stomach into a fit of cries and nausea.

It was like an animal trapped inside her stomach, wanting to get out and slowly torture something until it died a painful death. It wouldn't stop unless it was tamed.

Three days. Three days without food.

She felt sick and lacked energy as she sat there, feeling her stomach growl every minute during the day. It wouldn't stop. Occasionally, she would go to the bathroom or to get a drink of water, but she didn't move besides that.

In a strange way, drinking more water made her hunger increase. It was like the water made the feeling even stronger so it would inflict more pain and misery onto her and the other _Gladers_.

Have you ever been so hungry that you feel sick? Like you're going to throw up and your stomach is churning as you feel light headed?

Well, that's the exact feeling Leo has been feeling for the past three days constantly. As her stomach begged for food, it was hard for her to fall asleep. Even when she tried to sleep, it never worked for long as she would constantly wake back up from the hunger.

She felt her body becoming lighter, her skin losing its colour and her eyes starting to skin. How long would WICKED starve them before the _Gladers_ finally died?

Whenever some _Gladers_ passed her, they looked like every step they took was wasting their energy, like they were losing all the fat from their body as they stood up. They all hugged their stomachs, hung their heads low and licked their lips at the thought of food.

It affected them all like a disease.

No sleep. Bathroom break. Drink water. Bed. No sleep.

Like an endless cycle of torture.

If she ever got a minute or second of sleep, it was dreaming about all the food that she could be eating, which made her stomach growl even louder.

" _Hunger is only in the mind. Don't think about it and you won't be hungry."_

Bull-bloody-shit.

Even when she was talking to someone or her thoughts were focused on other things besides food, it would almost come back as her stomach growled and her body cried out.

Nothing worked.

Hunger. Misery.

Those two words perfectly described the past three days.

She had stopped looking at her watch as it only made each minute, hour and day last for eternity.

While some _Gladers_ stayed in the dorms to lie on the beds, most of the _Gladers_ – including Leo spent most of their time in the common area as they hoped something would happen, like food dropping out of the sky.

But, during what they assumed was night, everyone would go into the dorm and try to sleep on the beds.

Try being the key word in that sentence.

As she sat in the dorms on a bed on the third day, she wondered how much longer any of them could last before their bodies would give up and shut down. She lied her head down on the pillow as she closed her eyes, hoping to get just an hour of sleep.

Could they last another day of this torture?

…

"Leo," a voice whispered.

She groaned, keeping her eyes shut. She had been asleep for one of the first times in the past three days and she never wanted to wake up from it. She felt a hand gently shake her as they whispered her name again. She had a pretty good idea that it was Newt, as others wouldn't have been as caring.

"Come on _love_ , there's something you need to see," he whispered.

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing his smiling face made her cheeks turn red. What made it even better was a red and green object that was in his hand.

An apple.

A shiny red and green apple.

She quickly shot up at the sight, leaning her back against the wall as she tried to find the words she so desperately wanted to speak.

"What…How…Why?"

Newt sat down on the bed by her side, handing her the apple in his hands. "Eat."

She stared down at the object in her hands, wanting to devour every single piece of it, even the core. She took a bite, the flavour and juice pouring into her mouth as she almost had a mini heart attack.

She never realised how amazing an apple could taste before.

She took another, and then another before Newt placed a hand on her shoulder, which made her stop as she turned to face him.

"Take it slow," he said. "Others have eaten so fast they chucked it back up in a minute flat."

She gave a small nod as she took a smaller bite, savouring the flavour more before she took the next bite. She noticed him reaching into his pocket and pulling out another one. He placed it in her other hand as she took another small bite from the first apple.

She slowly felt the energy coming back into her body. "This is bloody amazing," she muttered with a smile as she glanced down at it like it was the most treasured and rare item anyone could find.

"Knew they weren't gonna starve us," he said with a smile as he gently grabbed her wrist, the both of them hoping off the bed as they stood back up.

"Where did you even get these?"

"Common room. But, there's something else."

"Something else?" she repeated, taking another bite from the apple. She held onto the second one with a strong grip, wanting to make sure she didn't drop it and waste the precious fruit.

He nodded as they walked out of the dorm, his hand still wrapped around her wrist. " _Shanks_ who found it claimed they'd look a few minutes before and nothing had been there."

"So, like the bodies and the names on the door," she said.

He nodded again as they entered the room, the _Gladers_ all crowded in the room – expect Thomas and a few others who were still sleeping.

There were huge piles of food that seemed to have been dumped from the sky. Fruits, vegetables and small packages that were filled with other types of food.

But, what really got her attention was something on the far side of the room. A large wooden desk placed opposite the door to the dorm and behind that desk was a thin man dressed in a white suit, reading a book.

She stared at the man as she held onto the apples, not sure what to think of this intruder. He sat there casually, as if the _Gladers_ weren't even there. It was like this was his Sunday morning where he could relax with a book and a cup of coffee. He seemed way too relaxed about being there.

He had thin black hair that was combed across his bald head; a long nose; and brown eyes that shifted over the pages of the book he read.

A white suit. Pants, shirt, tie, coat, socks, shoes. Everything was white.

"Who's that?" Leo asked, wondering if he would stand and introduce himself, but he made no movement. Could he not hear them?

"Won't tell us anything," Edwin said as he stopped chewing. "Told us we have to wait till he's ready."

She looked back over to the man, turning the page in his book as he continued to scan over the words.

She took a few steps closer, wondering why no one around her were doing anything about the man who sat there, or why they hadn't gone any closer.

"Careful," Newt said.

But it was too late.

Leo slammed face first into an invisible wall and fell straight down to the ground, holding her nose. "Ouch," she muttered as she rubbed it, glancing back up at the man. She had been about three meters away from his desk before she had fallen down.

No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't see anything that would have caused the fall. No wall, not even the reflection of glass, or even a smudge from the impact.

Just an empty spot of air.

Footsteps sounded behind her as Thomas walked up to it, holding out his hands. His hands suddenly stopped against the air, touching the invisible wall that she had just slammed into.

Clearly frustrated, Thomas moved from left to right, feeling along the wall. As she watched him walk around, she noticed that the wall made its way around the entire room, blocking off any possible entrance to the man at the desk.

Leo pushed herself up, glad that she still had hold of the two apples as she watched Thomas pound on the invisible wall, creating dull thumps.

But nothing happened.

"We've already tried that," Aris said as he stood there with a piece of food in his hand. Other _Gladers_ nodded, murmuring similar things.

Leo walked backwards until she stood beside Newt and Minho – who she assumed had just arrived with Thomas. "What is going on?" she asked, but no one was able to provide an answer.

The man gave an exaggerated sigh, placing a finger in his finger as a bookmark as he looked at Thomas with a glare.

"How many times do I have to repeat this?" he asked, his voice as nasally as you would image with his stupid face. Surprisingly, his voice wasn't muffled. "We still have forty-seven minutes before I've been authorised to implement _Phase Two_ of the Trials. Please show your patience and leave me alone. You've been given this time to eat and replenish yourselves, and I strongly suggest you take advantage of it, young man. Now, if you don't mind…"

Without another word, he leaned back in his chair as he placed his feet back onto the desk. He opened the book where his finger had been and continued to read, going back to ignoring their presence.

"You've met our new friend?" Minho asked, a smirk flashing across his face. "Real piece of work this guy. I gotta get me one of those _shuck_ suits. Fancy stuff."

"I don't know if you could pull of white on white," Leo said, taking another bite out of her apple.

"Am I awake?" Thomas asked.

"You're awake. Now eat – you look horrible. Almost as bad as _Rat Man_ over there, reading his book."

Leo took another bite of her apple, looking around at all the food that was chucked onto the floor. It seemed gross, but no one cared about how dirty the floor was – anybody would eat off the floor if they hadn't eaten for three entire days.

As she finished the first apple, she quickly started on the second that Newt had given her. She took an orange and a bag of mixed nuts from the pile and placed them into her pockets, saving them for later. Thirty minutes had passed before she had finished all of the food she had taken. She grabbed a bottle of water, taking big sips of the refreshing liquid to keep herself hydrated.

She closed her eyes once she noticed some of the _Gladers_ throwing up the food they had just eaten, not wanting herself to become sick because of them. She probably would have been one of those if Newt hadn't told her to slow down.

Ten minutes later and all of the _Gladers_ sat down on the floor in the middle of room, all eyes on the invisible wall and the stranger sitting behind it.

"I think we've all gone psycho like those…what's they call themselves again?" Minho asked as he broke the silence.

" _Cranks_ ," Leo said.

" _Cranks_. The _Cranks_ at the windows," Minho continued. "We're all sitting here waiting for a lecture from _Rat Man_ like this is totally normal. Like we're at some kind of school. I can tell you this much – if he had anything good to say, he wouldn't need a freaking magic wall to protect him from us, now, would he?"

"Just _slim_ it and listen," Newt said. "Maybe it's all gonna be over."

"Yeah, right," Minho said. "And Frypan's gonna start having little babies, Winston'll get rid of his monster acne, Leo will get rid of his freak outs and Thomas here'll actually smile for once."

"It's a medical condition and I'm not a freak!" Leo said.

"Sure you're not."

Thomas turned to Minho with an exaggerated fake smile. "There, you happy?"

"Dude," he said. "You are one ugly _shank_."

"If you say so."

"Shut your bloody holes," Newt whispered. "I think it's time."

 _Rat Man_ – the stranger's new nickname thanks to Minho – placed his feet down onto the floor, placing his book on the desk. He pushed his chair back as he pulled out one of the drawers, rummaging through it until he pulled out a packed folder filled with messy stacks of paper.

"Ah, here it is," _Rat Man_ said, placing the folder on the desk. He opened it up and looked at all of them. "Thank you for gathering in an orderly manner so I can tell you what I've been…instructed to tell you. Please listen carefully."

"Like we had anything else to do," Leo muttered to herself as she glared.

"Why do you need that wall?!" Minho shouted.

Newt reached around Thomas and punched Minho in the arm. "Shut it!"

"You're all still here because of an uncanny will to survive despite the odds, among…other reasons," _Rat Man_ continued. "About sixty people were sent to live in the _Glade_. Well, your _Glade_ , anyway. Another sixty in Group B, but for now we'll forget them."

The man's eyes looked at Aris before scanning the rest of the crowd.

"Out of all those people, only a fraction survived to here today. I'm assuming you've figured this out by now, but many of the things that happen to you are solely for the purpose of judging and analysing your responses. And yet it's not really an experiment as much as it is…constructing a blueprint. Stimulating the killzone and collecting the resultant patterns. Putting them all together to achieve the greatest breakthrough in the history of science and medicine. These situations inflicted upon you are called the Variables, and each one has been meticulously thought out. I'll explain more soon. And though I can't tell you everything at this time, it's vital that you know this much: these trials you're going through are for a very important cause. Continue to respond well to the Variables, continue to survive, and you'll be rewarded with the knowledge that you've played a part in saving the human race. And yourselves, of course."

 _Rat Man_ paused as Leo looked at Newt with a raised eyebrow.

"This dude's _shucked_ in the head," Minho whispered. "How would escaping a freaking maze save the human race?"

"I represent a group called WICKED," _Rat Man_ continued. "I know it sounds menacing, but it stands for World In Catastrophe, Killzone Experiment Department. Nothing menacing about it, despite what you may think. We exist for one purpose and one purpose only: to save the world from catastrophe. You here in this room are the vital part of what we plan to do. We have resources never know to any group of any kind in the history of civilisation. Nearly unlimited money, unlimited human capital and technology advanced beyond even the most clever man's wants and wishes. As you make your way through the Trials, you have seen and will continue to see evidence of this technology and the resources behind it. If I can tell you anything today, it is that you should never, ever believe your eyes. Or your mind, for that matter. This is why we did the demonstration with the hanging bodies and the bricked-up windows. All I will say is that sometimes what you see is not real, and sometimes what you do not see is real. We can manipulate your brains and nerve receptacles when necessary. Almost like an _illusion_."

He stared at Leo when he said that, then went back to scanning the crowd. "I know this sounds confusing and a little scary, perhaps. The _Maze_ was part of the Trials. Not one Variable was thrown at you that didn't serve a purpose for our collection of killzone patterns. Your escape was part of the Trials. Your battle against the _Grievers_. The murder of the boy Chuck. The supposed rescue and subsequent trip in the bus. All of it. Part of the Trials.

Dressing Leo up as girl was probably also on that list, but he didn't want to reveal that secret too early on. It would ruin the fun.

Thomas almost rose to his feet as anger filled his veins before Newt pulled him back down to sit on the floor. He was still so emotionally distraught about Chuck's death that even the mention of his name could send him into an emotional breakdown.

 _Rat Man_ stood from his chair, sending it slamming back against the wall. He placed his hands down onto the back, leaning forward towards them.

"All of it has been part of the Trials, you understand? _Phase One_ , to be exact. And now we are still dangerously short of what we need. So we've had to up the ante, and now it's time for _Phase Two_. It's time for things to get difficult."


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOUR:**

Shimmering Grey Walls Of Transportation…

* * *

Day Three – Part Two - Rescued

The room went into silence, everyone thinking the same sort of things.

What was this guy talking about? Manipulating their brains? They had known about that a little, but him admitting it still sent shivers up her spine. _Rat Man_ seemed to wait for ages before he slowly lowered himself back into the chair, moving it forward so he could behind the desk.

"You may think, or it may seem, that we're merely testing your ability to survive. On the surface, the _Maze_ Trial could be mistakenly classified that way. But I assure you – this is not merely about survival and the will to live. That's the only part of this experiment. The bigger picture is something you won't understand until the very end. Sun flares have ravaged many parts of the earth. Also, a disease unlike any before known to man has been ravaging the earth's people – a disease called the _Flare_. For the first time, the governments of all nations – the surviving ones – are working together. They've combined forces to create WICKED – a group meant to fight the new problem of this world. You are a big part of that fight. And you'll have every incentive to work with us, because, sad to say, each one of you has already caught the virus."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Leo shouted as Minho stood up.

"Infected? We're going to die from a _shucking_ disease?!"

Rat Man quickly held his hands to stop them. "Now, now! No need to worry – the _Flare_ takes a while to set in and show symptoms. But at the end of these Trials, the cure will be your reward, and you'll never see…the debilitating effects. Not many can afford the cure, you know."

Leo gulped. That woman who had chased the bus. The people in her dreams. The _Flare_ had eaten away at their minds, driving them to insanity and turning them into vicious animals. They had lost all human inhibitions.

She hadn't even realised that most of those creatures had actually been people before they been had infected by the disease. It made her feel sick knowing that all those people would have lived normal lives before it.

"But enough of this history lesson and time-wasting," _Rat Man_ continued. "We know you now. All of you. It doesn't matter what I say or what's behind the mission of WICKED. You'll all do whatever it takes. Of this we have no doubt. And by doing what we ask, you'll save yourselves by getting the very cure so many people desperately want."

Minho groaned, but Thomas quickly shushed him.

 _Rat Man_ looked down at the messy stack of papers in the open folder as he picked up one piece of paper and turned it around.

He cleared his throat. " _Phase Two_. _The Scorch Trials_. It officially begins tomorrow morning at six o'clock. You'll enter this room, and in the wall behind me you will find a _Flat Trans_. To your eyes the _Flat Trans_ will appear as a shimmering wall of grey. Each of you must step through it by five minutes after the hour. So again, it opens at six o'clock and closes five minutes after that. Do you understand?"

She felt the man wasn't even really there and that he just part of another illusion that WICKED created to confuse them. Others must have felt the same as no one answered his question.

"I'm quite certain you can all hear. Do…you…under…stand?"

Leo nodded, a few boys murmuring quiet yeses and yeahs.

"Good."

 _Rat Man_ picked up another piece of paper and turned it over. "At that point, the _Scorch Trails_ will have begun. The rules are very simple. Find your way to open air, then head due to north for one hundred miles. Make it to the _Safe Haven_ within two weeks' time and you'll have completed _Phase Two_. At that point, and only at that point, you'll be cured of the _Flare_. That's exactly two weeks – starting the second you step through the _Trans_. If you don't make it, eventually you'll end up dead."

She was tempted to shout and scream, questioning his logic and reasoning, but nothing came out of her mouth. No one else said a word, fear probably taking over their bodies as well.

 _Rat Man_ slammed the folder shut as he shoved it away into the drawer. He stood up, stepping to the side and as he pushed the chair underneath the desk. He folded his hands as he stared at the _Gladers_.

"It's simple, really," he said, like he was given instructions on how to open a door. "There are no rules. There are no guidelines. You have few supplies, and there's nothing to help you along the way. Go through the _Flat Trans_ at the time indicated. Find open air. Go one hundred miles, directly north, to the _Safe Haven_. Make it or die."

That one word – _die_ – made everyone snap, bursting into questions.

"What's a _Flat Trans_?"

"How'd we catch the _Flare_?"

"How long till we see symptoms?"

"What's at the end of the hundred miles?"

"What happened to the dead bodies?"

Question after question, the room roared with confusion. Leo had many questions she wanted to raise, but nothing would come out when she opened her mouth. _Rat Man_ couldn't care less for them or what they had to say as he stood there, patiently ignoring them.

He narrowed his eyes at her, like he was checking on her to see what she would do. She gave a glare back as she raised an eyebrow, curious to see what he would do next.

"You _shanks_ shut up!" Minho finally shouted.

The questions stopped almost immediately.

"This shuck-face ain't answering, so quit wasting your time."

 _Rat Man_ nodded towards Minho, almost as if he was thanking him. "One hundred miles. North. Hope you make it. Remember – you all have the _Flare_ now. We gave it to you to provide any incentive you may be lacking. And reaching the _Safe Haven_ means receiving a cure."

He turned away from them and moved back towards the wall, almost as if he planned to walk straight through. But before he did, he stopped and turned back to face them.

"Ah, one last thing. Don't think you'll avoid the _Scorch Trials_ if you decide not to enter the _Flat Trans_ between six and six-oh-five tomorrow morning. Those who stay behind will be executed immediately in a most…unpleasant manner. Better off taking your chances in the outside world. Good luck to all of you."

He turned back around and walked towards the wall, the invisible wall starting to fog, whitening to a cloudy blur before it disappeared, revealing the other side of the common area.

Expect this time, there was no chair or desk, or _Rat Man_.

"Well, _shuck_ me," Minho whispered.

"They implanted us with a deadly disease," Leo said as she held her arm, almost as if the disease was already spreading through her body.

"Why in the _shuck_ would they do that?" Frypan yelled, more in desperation than anger.

Thomas suddenly stormed out of the room, but she paid no mind to him as the Gladers continued to argue.

"This isn't good," she said, sitting down on the floor.

"Are we going to die? Is this disease going to kill us?" Emil asked as he stood in the centre, looking at all the _Gladers_ , pleading with him to tell him otherwise.

But, no one could think of anything to say that would lighten his spirits, let along their own. If they didn't make the journey through the _Scorch_ , they would all turn into the _Cranks_. And injecting them with the disease made sure they would work to finish the Trial. If they had no fear of the disease, there would be no Trial and WICKED would lose.

"I don't know," Newt said as he shook his head.

"Why would they inject us with this?!" Frypan asked again.

"To make us work for it!" Leo shouted to get him to shut his mouth. "If we didn't have the disease, then why would we do the Trial? We wouldn't need the cure. Since we now have it, we need the cure so we have to go. You see?"

"I still can't _shucking_ believe it," Frypan grumbled.

She noticed Minho walk out of the room to try and find where Thomas had disappeared off to.

"It's sick," Winston said as he shook his head, staring at the blank space where _Rat Man_ used to be. "Thinking they can do this to us. Why would they do this? Any of this? Making us do Trials? Separating us from family? Why?"

Leo pushed herself up to stand, hands on her hips. "Because they can."

She then walked out of the room, knowing that if she spent another minute in that room she would lose it. She felt the other _Gladers_ with many more questions that would, unfortunately, never be answered.

"Too much to handle?" Newt asked as he stood in the doorway, his arms folded over his chest.

"I think that's an understatement," she said as she ran a hand through her wig.

"No one's handling it well out there," he said, gesturing back to the common area. "Your answer didn't give them any ease, that's for sure."

"It's the truth." She walked over to stand in front of him, wondering how he could be acting so calm about this situation.

"I'm not," he said.

"Can you read my mind too?" she asked with a smirk. He shook his head as they walked past the common area, escaping the crowded room and noise.

"Dude, how long's it take to drop a load?" Minho asked.

She looked over to the dorm room in which Aris had stayed in to find Minho standing in the doorway of the bathroom, obviously talking to Thomas.

"I can't stand it out there," Thomas said. "Everyone talking over everybody else like a bunch of babies. Say what they want, we all know what we're gonna do."

"Ain't you Mr. Happy? Look, man, those shanks out there are just as brave as you are. Every last one of us will go through that…whatever he called it…tomorrow morning. Who cares if they wanna crack their throats yapping about it?"

Thomas rolled his eyes. "I never said jack about me being braver than anybody. I'm just sick of hearing people's voices. Yours included."

Minho snickered. " _Slint_ head, when you try to be mean, it's just freaking hilarious."

"Thanks." Thomas paused. " _Flat Trans_."

"Huh?" Minho asked.

"That's what the white-suit shank called the thing we need to go through. A _Flat Trans_."

"Oh yeah. Must be some kind of doorway."

"That's what I'm thinking. Something like the _Cliff_. It's flat, and it transports you somewhere. _Flat Trans_."

"You're a _shuck_ genius."

"Where does it transport you though?" Leo asked as she stepped into the room. "He said find 'open air'. Would that mean it would put us in something enclosed, like a room?"

"Or a tunnel?" Thomas suggested, just as confused as her.

"What're you two hiding for?" Newt asked as he walked in.

Minho slapped Thomas on the shoulder. "We're not hiding. Thomas is just whining about his life and wishin' he could go back to his mommy."

"Tommy," Newt said. "You went through the _Changing_ , got some of your memories back. How much of this stuff do you remember?"

"I don't know. I can't really picture the actual world outside or what it was like being involved with the people I helped design the _Maze_. Most of it's either faded again or just gone. I've had a couple of weird dreams, but nothing that helps."

"So you've had dreams too," Leo said as she glanced at him, wondering what he was going through.

"Dreams about what?" Minho asked.

"The outside world," she answered. "I know what's out there, well…sort of. I know one place of the outside world, my home."

"You didn't go through the shucking _Changing_ when we weren't looking did ya?" Minho asked.

She shook her head. "No. It's…" She paused as she glanced over at Newt. He was the only one who knew about her dreams of home with the little girl named Abigail. She sighed before she continued. "The _Creators_ – WICKED – whatever those shanks are called, they've…done some things, some _messed_ up things."

"You need to be more specific Leo," Minho said.

"Let her bloody speak," Newt said with a glare.

"…To me. Messed up things to me…"

"Besides dressing you up as a boy?" Thomas asked, and she nodded.

"They've given me these dreams of a town filled with diseased creatures, the sun burning as the air felt like fire…Exactly what Alby had described after he came out of the _Changing_ …"

She glanced over at Newt who gave her a small smile, telling her it was alright to continue.

"Minho, you know what happened with Alby, right? The choking thing?"

He nodded. "Where's this going?" he asked.

"They've controlled me too…to kill," she said as she looked him in the eyes, wondering what kind of reaction to give.

Thomas shifted, remembering the story she had told him. Newt glared at him, telling him to keep his mouth shut and not make it any worse.

"To kill? Leo, what the _shuck_ are you talking about?" Minho asked.

"Tried to make her kill me," Newt said as he interlocked their fingers, making her feel more comfortable and less worried. "That's what the note meant."

Minho seemed to have no words, but he was furious. He stood up as he started pacing around the room for a few seconds before he stopped moving, slamming his hand against the wall in anger. The three didn't say a word as they watched him growl.

"I'm sick of 'em! Those _shucking Creators_! How can they think they can do this?! Just control us like this?! Make us kill one another?!"

Leo shook her head, taking a deep breath as she felt Newt's thumb tracing small patterns onto her skin. "I – I don't know…Alright, I don't know. I don't know why they would control me. I don't why they would control my dreams. I don't know bloody anything!"

Minho stood there, his words fading as the other two remained silent.

"All I _shucking_ know is that we need to get rid of them. Figure out what's going on and do whatever the hell we need to do. I can't just sit here thinking about what they could do to next when we haven't even figured out what we're going to do about it."

It was silent for a moment before Thomas sighed. "She's right. We need to figure out what their plan for us is. We need to know what the _Safe Haven_ is, what the _Flare_ is and how we're gonna go into the ' _Scorch_ '. It's our only way of survival. And if the _Creators_ want to get in the way again, control us at any time they want, then we'll just have to fight them."

Minho looked back over at her once more before he sighed, pushing his anger aside for the better of the Trials.

"Fine. But if they come back and attack, I'll gouge out their eyes for ya," he said with a slight smirk, the anger fading to the back of his mind.

She nodded, a smile forming on her face. "Good that."

Newt – finally seeing the control coming back to them – nodded, glancing at all of them. "Well, we've got stuff to figure out. And I need help to make sure the bloody food's not gone before we leave tomorrow. Something tells me we're gonna need it."

"You're right," Thomas said. "Are people still chowing down out there?"

Newt shook his head. "No, Frypan took charge. That _shank_ 's religious about food – I think he was glad to have something to be the boss about again. But I'm scared people might get panicky and try to eat it anyway."

"Oh, come on," Minho said. "Those of us who made it this far got here for a reason. All the idiots are dead by now."

He looked over at Thomas, worried he might have taken it wrong about Chuck's death. Then he moved his glance to Leo, wondering if she was thinking the same about Hawk.

She shook her head, knowing he hadn't meant to include Hawk in that statement – her first friend in the _Glade_ who had sacrificed himself so they could all survive.

"Maybe," Newt replied. "Hope so. Anyway, I was thinking we need to get organised, get things back together. Act like we did in the bloody _Glade_. Last few days have been miserable, everybody moaning and groaning, no structure, no plan. It's driving me psycho."

"Same for all of us," Leo muttered.

"What'd you expect us to do?" Minho asked. "Form up in lines and do push-ups? We're stuck in a stupid three-room prison."

Newt swatted at the air. "Whatever. I'm just saying, things are obviously going to change tomorrow and we gotta be ready to face it."

"What are you getting at?" Thomas asked.

Newt paused, looking at Thomas. Then Minho and finally Leo. "We need to make sure we have a solid leader when tomorrow comes. There can't be any doubt who's in charge."

"That's the lamest _shuck_ -face thing you've ever barked," Minho said. "You're the leader, and you know it. We all know it."

Newt shook his head. "Being hungry make you forget the bloody tattoos? You think they're just decorations?"

"Oh, come on," Minho snapped. "You really think it means anything? They're just playin' with our heads!"

Newt stepped closer and pulled back his shirt to reveal the tattoo. He raised an eyebrow at him. Minho shrugged him off. "I know what it says genius. Still doesn't mean anything."

"It does. It means everything," Leo said, pulling down her shirt a bit to show her tattoo. "Tell me what it says. What's my title?"

Minho moved closer and almost stumbled upon his words. "The _Deceiver_."

"And what do you think that means?" she asked, readjusting her shirt as she crossed her arms.

Minho said nothing as he realised what it meant.

"I'm the _Deceiver_ , because I'm fooling everyone into thinking I'm a boy…Do you see what we mean? If you're branded as the leader, than I guess you're the bloody leader, but, that also means…"

She glanced at Thomas who seemed to be in his own world of thoughts. "That means that Thomas is meant to killed by a bunch of girls."

…

The rest of that evening was spent on making makeshift packs out of bedsheets to carry food and extra sets of clothing. Some food had already come in plastic bags, and now those empty-bags were filled up with water and tied at the ends with material ripped from the curtains.

No one knew it would last them very long, but it was the best they were gonna get.

Minho finally took charge as leader – a position that fit him rather nicely – as none of the other _Gladers_ seemed to complain. They almost seemed pleased at the idea of having someone new being in charge.

At around nine o'clock, the _Gladers_ were all back in the dorm and in their bunk beds. As Leo stared at the ceiling with a softly snoring Emil on the bottom bunk, she had to wonder if she would be able to sleep with everything going through her mind.

They had gone through the _Maz_ e and survived. They'd seen WICKED and what they could do. They _experienced_ what WICKED could do.

If this was all part some of some huge experiment, that meant that most of the people who had died had either been chosen by WICKED to die or it was accidental. And because they had died, they had been ruled out as potential subjects.

And from what she gathered, the _Gladers_ who had been given titles were the ones that WICKED wanted to survive, or were the ones who were more likely to succeed. Or in this case, survive. And that meant that she was one of those, along with Newt, Minho, Thomas, and surely Teresa.

She was just a test subject to them. Nothing more. Nothing less.

All of them, every single _Glader_ , had been test subjects.

And they were going to place them into a world filled with disease and death. A disease that couldn't be stopped. Was there a cure? And if there was, why wouldn't it have been offered to the public for free so that the human race wouldn't have been majorly wiped out.

Was there even a cure to be there or is that just another trick?

She didn't know what to believe or who to believe. What if this _Rat Man_ was lying about this _Phase Two_ and the Flat Trans, and that when they woke up it would the same routine they had gone through for the past three days?

She shook her head as she tried to clear everything out of her mind, closing her eyes as she tried to fall asleep, hoping that she wouldn't have another nightmare. Sleep seemed to come easily after being fed and when she did fall asleep, there was only darkness.

Nothing else.

* * *

Day One - Part One - The Scorch Trials

Leo had woken that morning to the sound of the alarm on her watch going off, telling her that it was five in the morning – an hour before everything would change again.

As other alarms went off, she rubbed her eyes and yawned, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed as she jumped down.

As Newt turned on the light, she sighed in relief to see that the brick wall was still there and that she wouldn't have to see the _Cranks_ first thing in the morning. She quickly rushed off to the shower, Thomas letting her go past before any of the others.

As she cleaned herself, she wondered how long it would be before she would have another chance to do this, or even wear clean clothes.

The time seemed to fly as when she glanced at her watch again, it was ten minutes before six o'clock. She played with the dog tag around her neck, wondering why WICKED would have given her this as an accessory. She wished the sleeves on the dark blue shirt she now wore were longer as she felt a bit cold as she sat close to Newt for warmth. Losing the fat on her body from those three days of starvation made everything a little bit colder than before.

Every _Glader_ sat in anticipation of what was to come as they held plastic bags filled to the brim with water, the bedsheet packs at their sides. She held the bag of water in her hands to make sure it didn't leak or spill, as did most of the _Gladers_ as they tried to preserve as much as they could.

The invisible wall had reappeared during the night in the common area like a barricade, blocking them once again from entering that certain spot. The _Gladers_ all sat on the other side of it, facing where the stranger in the white suit had claimed the Flat Trans would appear.

"Did you think you were crazy?" she overheard Aris ask Thomas.

She seemed shocked to hear his voice, she had almost forgotten that he was there because he would never say a word to anyone.

"Yeah. Then when it kept happening, I got over it – only I started worrying about other people thinking I was crazy. So we didn't tell anyone about it for a long time."

"We thought you were crazy long before that _shank_ ," Leo said with a smirk while Thomas glared.

"It was weird for me," Aris responded. "I was in a coma for a few days, and when I woke up, speaking out to Rachel seemed the most natural thing in the world. If she hadn't accepted it and spoken back, I'm pretty sure I would've lost it. The other girls in the group hated me – some of them wanted to kill me. Rachel was the only one who…"

He trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Minho stood up as he went to address the group, taking on the leadership quite well considering the amount of protesting he had previously done.

"We've got three minutes," he said. "Everybody sure they still wanna go?"

Some of the _Gladers_ nodded.

"Anybody change their mind overnight? Speak now or never. Once we go wherever we're going, if some shank decides he's a sissy pants and tries to turn back, I'll make sure he does it with a broken nose and smashed privates."

Leo face-palmed as Newt groaned loudly into his hands.

"Newt, you got a problem?" Minho asked, his voice stern.

Newt seemed taken a back. "Uh…no. Just admiring your bloody leadership skills."

Minho pulled his shirt from his neck, showing everyone his tattoo. "What does that say, _slint_ head?"

Newt's face turned red, glancing from left to right. "We know you're the boss, Minho. _Slim_ it."

"No, you slim it. We don't have time for that kind of _klunk_. So shut your hole."

"It's six o'clock!" someone shouted, stopping the two's bickering argument almost instantly.

The invisible wall turned cloudy again, fogging into a blinding white light and then it vanished. The wall opposite them had a large section of it transformed into a now flat, shimmering surface of grey.

"Come on!" Minho yelled as he pulled the strap of his pack onto his shoulder. "Don't mess around – we only have five minutes to get through. I'll go first." He pointed at Thomas. "You go last – make sure everyone follows me before you come."

"I'm starting to regret making him leader," Leo muttered to Newt who nodded.

"Yeah, me too," he said.

Thomas nodded as Minho pushed past as he walked up to the wall of grey. The _Flat Trans_ seemed unstable, way too hard for Leo to focus on as shadows and swirls of different shades danced across its surface. The whole thing seemed to pulse and blur into one, making it hard to see any details in it.

Minho turned to look back at them. "See you _shanks_ on the other side."

Then he stepped through, the wall of grey swallowing him whole.


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIVE:**

Scorch: Pitch Black Tunnels With Silver Orbs…

* * *

Day One – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

As soon as Minho went through the _Flat Trans_ , reality set in on what they were about to do and how it could be worse than anything they had encountered in the _Maze_. One by one, Thomas herded the _Gladers_ into a line as each of them stepped through the _Flat Trans_ , not a single word being spoken.

Every _Glader_ hesitated before they stepped through the grey square, sharing terrified glances instead of words. And after about two minutes, only Aris, Leo and Newt were left standing with Thomas.

Aris stared at Thomas, right before he choked on a cough. Leo and Newt quickly assumed that they were talking to each other in their minds, clearly whatever needed to be said was too personal for them to hear.

"Hurry," Thomas muttered, breaking the silence. "We've gotta hurry."

Aris' face suddenly saddened as he stepped though the _Flat Trans_ and disappeared.

Leo took a deep breath of air as she turned to look at the two of them before she stepped through. And as she did, she felt the cold travel across her skin from front to back, like she was walking through a wall of icy water. She opened her eyes, only to see nothing but darkness. She didn't dare to take another step, but she could hear Aris muttering something to himself right in front of her.

She heard quiet footsteps behind her and knew that Newt had gone through and was now standing behind her. She hoped none of the _Gladers_ would be too mad as she gently touched the _Gladers_ ' shoulders as she pushed past them, Newt following not too far behind. She continued to do this until she reached – what she assumed – was the middle of the group.

"Hey!" Thomas called out. "You guys-"

And then there was a loud thump. She almost turned around, but quickly realised that it would be useless as she couldn't see anything anyway.

"Ow!" a boy yelled as he pushed something – assumingly Thomas who had fallen on top of him.

"Everyone be still and shut up!" Minho yelled. "Thomas, was that you? Are you in here?"

"Yes!" She could hear his footsteps as he pushed himself back up. "I was the last one to come through. Did everyone make it?"

"We were lining up and counting off nice and easy till you came stumbling through like a doped-up bull," Minho responded. "Let's do it again. One!"

Thomas yelled, "Two!" when no one else said anything.

As everyone counted off, it almost seemed like they were counting by the numbers WICKED had imprinted them with. Newt counted off as five as everyone else went down the line.

"Twenty," Leo counted, leaving Aris to go last.

"Twenty-one," he said, finishing the count off.

"Good that," Minho said. "We're all here, wherever here is. Can't see a _shuck_ thing."

"Too bad we don't have a flashlight," Thomas said.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Mr. Thomas…All right, listen up. We're in some kind of hallway – I can fell the walls on both side, and as far as I can tell, most of you are to my right. Thomas, where you're standing is where we came in. We better not take any chances of accidentally going back through the _Flat Trans_ thing-a-majiggy, so everyone follow my voice and come toward me. Not much choice but to head down this way and see what we find."

They could hear him start to move, as did the others right behind him as the area filled with the sound of shuffling and rustling of clothing. She held her hands out, and when she felt nothing but air, she took that as her turn to start walking. She was sure to not to bump into the person in front of her. She had no idea who that person could be as she let her hand slide along the wall to keep herself steady and one hand out in front of her.

No one said a word as everyone slowly made their way through the area. Her eyes didn't adjust to the dark, almost like when she was inside the _Box_.

Cool air brushed past her that smelled like old leader, filled with dust that made her want to cough.

She felt someone bump into her from behind, but she didn't complain as she knew it wasn't their fault as she continued to walk forward.

On and on they continued down the path, the tunnel never seeming to come to an end as they kept going further and further into the darkness. It never changed directions, it remained dead straight the entire time.

The only sounds in the tunnel were the scraping of shoes on the concrete floor and occasional whispers between the _Gladers_. These sounds kept her in reality, otherwise she might have felt like she was walking into the middle of an abyss, like she was floating in darkness.

The person bumped into her again, but this time they spoke up instead of her. "Leo, you alright?" he whispered.

It was Newt's voice that made her sigh with relief, glad to know that she wasn't just walking by herself. "I've been better," she whispered back, knowing it was useless to turn around to try and see him.

Without either of them needing to say a word, the two quickly reached for each other's hands, both of them wanting to make sure the other was still really there. Their fingers interlocked as they continued to walk down the dark hallway.

Whispers started to fill the hallway, sounding as if they were coming from above them. She and Newt quickly stopped moving, knowing the sudden increase in whispers hadn't come from them or the _Gladers_.

"Wait! Stop! Hold it!" Minho shouted, making everyone quickly stop in their tracks. "Did you guys hear that?"

Some of the _Gladers_ muttered yeses as others started asking questions. She lifted her head up to stare at the ceiling, wondering if those strange voices would start to speak again. Maybe there were people above them who could help them escape.

It was more than likely that they were just illusions made by WICKED, but she liked to have some kind of hope in these situations.

The whispering had gone by so quick that she couldn't figure out what it had said, the sentence only containing a few short words.

Minho shushed everyone as he tried to listen.

As the _Gladers_ fell quiet, she felt the sense of dread and eeriness flow through her veins. Less than a minute passed before the same voices whispered again, echoing throughout as if there were speakers installed into the hallway's ceiling. Several of the _Gladers_ , most of them getting a few words.

She had only gotten a few words, but she wondered if the voices had really said or if she was just being paranoid or hallucinating.

"Did anyone get what it said?" Newt asked.

"Couple of words," Winston replied. "Sounded like 'go back' right in the middle."

"Yeah, it did," Emil shouted from somewhere behind her.

If they were the only words that the voices had said, then she knew she must have been hearing things. She knew what she had heard would be too strange to be real, and way too threatening.

"Everybody slim it and listen real hard this time," Minho announced.

And then, the dark tunnel fell back into an eerie silence.

" _One-chance deal,"_ the voice whispered. _"Go back now, you won't be sliced."_

So she had heard right. And judging from the reactions from the _Gladers_ , she knew she wasn't the only one hearing it. She had definitely heard the word _sliced._

"Won't be sliced?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He said we can go back!"

"We can't trust some random shank whispering in the dark."

"Just keep going!" Minho shouted. "I can't take this much longer. Just go!"

"Wait a minute," Frypan called. "The voice said this was a one-chance deal. We have to at least think about it."

"Hmmm, thought about it…Yeah, not happening," Leo said.

"Maybe we should go back," someone said, disagreeing with her.

"No way," Thomas said. "Remember what that guy at the desk told us. That we'd all die horrible deaths if we go back."

"Well, what makes him any more in charge than this whispering dude? How're we supposed to know who to listen to and who to ignore?" Frypan shouted.

"The voice is just a test, I bet. We need to keep going."

"He's right," Minho said. "Come on, let's go."

" _You're all dead. You're all going to be sliced. Dead and sliced."_

"Guess we're going to die either way," Leo muttered as she heard Frypan gulp.

No one else said a thing in regards to the voice, nor did they seem to panic. Minho had been right. The weak ones were already dead.

The weak like Gally who had been controlled and gave up, giving up without a fight.

The strong like Chuck and Hawk, who sacrificed themselves. The strong might have survived, but the brave fought till the end.

They made their deeper and deeper into the darkness, the air starting to warm as they ventured further. She coughed as the dust into her lungs, but she refused to take a sip from her water supply already.

Forward, they moved.

Warmer, the air became.

Thirsty, the _Gladers_ became.

Darkness, surrounding them like a coffin.

Walking, they did to pass the time.

She had no idea how long the hallway was, or how long they had been walking, but it felt like every step they were getting closer and closer to their deaths.

Where the hell were they?

Underground?

In a horribly lit building?

" _Find your way to open air."_

That was the next instruction that the Rat Man had given them, but where the hell were they were to find it if they were trapped?

A boy screamed right in front of her, making her stop dead in her tracks, making a crowd of people bump into each other. It started off with a shriek – like he'd been surprised – but it quickly escalated to pure terror. She couldn't tell who the boy was, but he screaming his throat out as his body fell down to the ground, thrashing around.

She bent down next to him as she heard heavy footsteps running towards them.

"Hey? What's going on?" she asked as she tried reach out to him, but he continued to thrash around and scream. She tried to grab hold of his arm to help him, but he kept moving. She then tried to grab hold of his legs, but she was kicked in the jaw.

She felt someone kneel down beside to her, trying to help her as they tried to stop the boy. She felt a crowd of people standing behind her.

"Hey!" Thomas – who turned out to be right beside her – shouted. "What's wrong with you?"

" _Shuck_ it," she cursed as she jumped onto the boy, trying to pin him down to the ground to keep him still, like they had done to Alby when he had gone through the _Changing_. She felt his elbow pierce her stomach, his knee hitting her square in the jaw again and a hand punching her shoulder.

"Ah!" she cried out as he kept hitting her left and right, consciously or not. She felt someone pounce on the other side of the screaming boy, trying to help her pin him down.

"Stop it!" Thomas shouted. "What's wrong?"

The screams turned into gargles, like he was being dragged under water and was breathing in the water. The convulsing wouldn't stop.

She stuck down her elbow onto his chest, reaching forward to touch his head. But, she stopped her movements when she noticed something strange.

No head.

No hair nor face.

Not even a neck.

Instead it was a cold, metallic sphere.

She froze, her arms stiffening as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Not only was it a metallic sphere, but it was wet, covered in some kind of liquid. And when the coppery smell hit her and filled the entire room, she knew exactly what the liquid was.

Blood.

The sphere slipped out from underneath and rolled away, making a haunting, hollow sound until it thumped against the wall, stopping in its path. The boy stopped moving underneath her, the sounds dying out as he lay limp.

She raised her hands up away from the boy's dead body, realising what had just happened. She knew she couldn't see them, but she knew her hands would be covered in that boy's blood.

She screamed as loud as she could as she scrambled backwards, trying to get as far away from the body as possible. Tears poured out of her eyes as she continued to scream, feeling like it was hard to breathe as she felt her fingers tingling.

"Leo? What happened?" Newt asked as he grabbed hold of her, pulling her up as she stumbled, her legs losing all energy as she almost fell back to the ground. He pulled her close to his chest as she shook, crying and sobbing into him as he held onto her even tighter. She wouldn't let her hands touch him, knowing she'd stain him with the blood of that boy she didn't even know.

Thomas figured out what had happened as he felt the bloody on his hands, and that's when he started to panic as he stumbled backwards.

"Leo! Thomas!" Minho shouted. "What happened?"

She knew the other _Gladers_ were staring in her direction, but she couldn't form the words she wanted to speak. She felt as if there was a giant lump in her throat as she choked on her own sobs, shaking her head as she whimpered.

"I…I don't know," Thomas said, knowing how terrified Leo must have been. "Who was that? Who was down there screaming?"

"Franke, I think," Winston answered. "He was right next to me, just making a joke, and then it was like something yanked him away. Yeah, it was him. Definitely him."

"What happened?" Minho asked again.

"Look," Thomas said. "I heard him screaming, and ran up here to help. Leo jumped on him, tried to pin his arms down as I helped, find out what was wrong. Then she reached for his head – I don't know why – and then…"

"What?" Minho shouted as Thomas trailed off.

"His head wasn't there!" Leo shouted, starling everyone. "It was a metal ball."

"Like his _shuck_ head had been swallowed by…by a big metal ball!" Thomas finished for her.

"What're you talking about?" Minho asked.

"Didn't you hear it rolling away right after he stopped screaming? I know it-"

Newt turned his head as he felt something pressing against his foot. "Its right here," he called, kicking the ball away from the wall. He slowly let go of Leo for a second as he bent down to lift the metal ball. He grunted, not expecting it to be as heavy as it was. "I heard it roll over here. And it's all wet and sticky – feels like blood."

Now Minho understood why Leo was breaking down.

"What the _klunk_ ," he whispered, before he spoke up. "How big is it?"

Other Gladers quickly joined in questions, but Leo quickly tuned them out as she tried to calm herself down. Now she knew how Thomas felt, holding someone in your arms before they die.

"Everybody slim it!" Newt yelled. When everyone went quiet, he sighed. "I don't know. Bigger than a bugging head for sure. It's perfectly round – a perfect sphere."

"We need to run," Thomas said. "We need to go. Now."

"Maybe we should go back," Emil said, his voice quivering. "Whatever the ball thing is, it – it sliced off Frankie's head, just like that guy warned us."

"No way," Minho responded. "No way. Thomas is right. No more dinking around. Spread out a couple of feet from each other, then run. Hunch down, and if something comes near your head, hit living crap out of it."

No one argued as everyone started to run, Leo felt the energy back in her legs at the thought of leaving this spot. She bolted out into a sprint as she pushed past people, trying her best not to trip them over as she passed. No one told her off or complained, knowing how bad she must have felt about Frankie's death as she tried to save him.

Nobody wanted to stay in that room anymore.

Sweat trickled down her face, her hands clammy from the blood as the air grew warmer. Now she wished that shirt had shorter sleeves.

She didn't slow down. Not for a single minute or second.

She heard the sounds of screaming again, but this time she didn't stop. She knew how selfish and how heartless it seemed, but she knew there was no way she would be able to go through that experience again.

But she wasn't the only one who hadn't stopped. None of the others did.

When the screams cut off into gargles, she heard the metal ball fall down to the ground as it rolled until it crashed into the wall.

Her chest hurt as her head pounded, her breaths coming out short and fast as she continued to run, the dust flying into her lungs. When Minho called for everyone to stop, she sighed as she bent over, exhaustion taking over her body as she coughed from the dust.

People's panting filled the space as everyone tried to recover. "Why'd we stop?" Frypan asked.

"Cause I almost broke my shins on something up here!" Minho shouted. "I think it's a stairway."

"Well, let's go up 'em!" Frypan said.

"Ya think?" Minho responded. "What would we do without you, Frypan? Seriously?"

"Then walk up the bloody stairs then!" Leo shouted.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Minho shouted as he stomped up the stairs. Soon as she heard the others join in and knew she would have to start running. One of the steps, her foot caught against it as she slammed her knee into the edge of the next step. She cursed as the pain hit her immediately, but she ignored it as she continued to run up the stairs.

A bang from up ahead that sounded like metal made her stop, others bumping into the back of her which almost sent her stumbling back down the stairs.

"Ow!" Minho yelled. _Gladers_ groaned as they bumped into each other from up ahead, unable to stop themselves in time.

"You okay?" Newt asked.

"What'd…you hit?" Thomas called.

"The shuck top, that's what. We hit the roof, and there's nowhere else…"

"There's not a door or anything?" Leo asked.

"No...Wait! I think I found-"

A sudden click cut him off as everything ignited in flames. She yelped as she covered her eyes, shielding herself from the bright, searing light. She felt like her skin was on fire as she could only see orange.

There was a heavy scrape, a clonk, and then darkness again.

" _Shuck_ me," Minho said. "Looks like we found a way out, but I think it's on the freaking sun! Man, that was bright. And hot."

"Let's just open it a crack and let our eyes get used to it," Newt said. He walked up the stairs to join Minho. "Here's a shirt – wedge it in there. Everybody shut your eyes!"

Leo quickly closed her eyes, the glow of orange returning. Even though her eyes were closed, her could see the colour as clear as day. After a minute or so, she slowly opened her eyes, squinting at the bright light. It felt like a million torch lights were pointed at her all at once, blinding her.

Minho and Newt were crouched just beneath the door in the ceiling, only four steps away from where she stood. She moved closer to them, bending down beside them so she could see what they were looking at. Everything that had surrounded them before was a dull grey metal. As she looked behind her at the darkness, she hadn't even realised while she was climbing how many stairs there actually was.

"Anybody blind now?" Minho asked. "I feel like my eyeballs are roasted marshmallows."

She rubbed her eyes as they started to water and sting.

"So, what's out there?" Edwin asked.

Minho shrugged, peeking out as he shielding his eyes slightly.

"Can't really tell. All I can see is a lot of bright light – maybe we are on the shuck sun. But I don't think there're any people out there." He paused. "Or _Cranks_."

"Let's get out of here, then," Winston said. "I'd rather get a sunburn than get my head attacked by some balls of steel. Let's go!"

"All right, Winston," Minho replied. "Keep your undies on – I just wanted to let our eyes adjust first. I'll throw the door all the way open to make sure we're okay. Get ready." He moved up a step and pushed his right shoulder against the slab of metal. "One. Two. Three!"

He straightened his legs and heaved. Light and heat burst down the stairs as the door opened with a horrible, grinding noise. She closed her eyes as she touched Newt's shoulder as she tried to stable herself. It felt like she was standing in an oven on the highest setting.

"Aw, man!" Minho said. "Something's wrong, dude. It feels like it's already burning my skin!"

"He's right," Newt said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't know if we can go out there. We might have to wait until the sun goes down."

"But what about those metal-"

And right before she could finish, Winston screamed.

"Whoa! Watch out! Watch out!"

Everyone turned around to see Winston pointing at something right above him. On the ceiling, just above their heads was a big blob of silver liquid, seeping out of the metal as if it was melting, growing bigger as it slowly rippled into a ball of molten goo.

And then, it fell from the ceiling.

But instead of splattering onto the ground, it flew directly onto Winston's face, his horrific screams filling the room as he fell backwards and tumbled down the stairs.

She stopped breathing as she watched him fall. He eventually came to a stop, his back resting on one of the steps as both of hands were at his face, pulling the silver liquid – the ball of molten already blended with the top of his head and consuming the part just above his ears. The edges were creeping down like syrup, going over the edges and his eyebrows.

Thomas jumped down and kneeled down next to him as Winston pulled and pushed at the goo to keep it away from his eyes. It seemed to be working slightly, but it didn't stop the screams as his feet kicked at the wall.

"Get it off me!" he screamed, his voice sounding like he was choking. As he pushed at a portion of it to keep it away from covering his eyes, some of it would slip around his fingers to try again. The skin underneath the molten was red and blistering.

Winston cried out something unintelligible, his tortured screams sounding like another language.

Thomas threw the pack off of his shoulders as he dumped out the contents until he found the bedsheet, wrapping it around his hands as he grabbed at the sides of the molten. All Leo could do was watch as Thomas tried to save the day again. She felt so useless, not being able to do anything because of her panic attacks. How had she even survived this long if she was this weak?

With a disturbing sucking sound, the sides of the molten lifted several inches off his face before it slipped back down over Winston's ears. His screams became even louder.

A couple of _Gladers_ tried to move to help, but Thomas shouted for them to "Back the _shuck_ up! You'll get in the way".

He turned back to Winston. "We have to do it together!" he yelled. "Listen to me, Winston! We have to do it together! Try to get a grip on it and lift it off your head!"

Winston's whole body convulsed as he struggled.

"On the count of three! Winston! On the count of three!"

Winston continued to scream, trashing and kicking.

"Just do it!" he yelled. "One! Two! Now!"

He grabbed the sides of the molten, yanking it up and away from Winston's head. He must have somehow heard Thomas' instructions as he pushed the goo away with the palm of his hands at the same time as Thomas did.

The entire mess came off within seconds.

Thomas threw the thing over his head and down the stairs, away from all the Gladers. The surface rippled before it solidified, hovering for a second before it flew down the stairs until it disappeared.

The thing was gone. And it didn't attack again.

Winston whimpered, curling into a ball and shaking as his screaming finally stopped. The hair on his head had been ripped off, replaced with raw skin and bleeding spots. His ears were cut and ragged, but they were still there. The acne on his face looked clean compared to the rest of the raw wounds on his head.

"You okay, man?" Thomas asked.

Winston shook his head, his body trembling.

"What was that shuck thing?" Minho murmured.

Thomas couldn't speak, he just shook his head.

"Magic goop that eats people's heads," Newt said. "That's what it bloody was."

"Has to be some kind of new technology," Aris said. "I've had a few splotchy memories come back. I know the world has some pretty advanced techno stuff – but I don't remember anything like flying molten metal that tries to cut off body parts."

"That crap must keep gelling around your face, then eat into the flesh of your neck until it cuts clean through it. Nice. That's real nice."

"Did you see? Thing came right out of the ceiling!" Frypan said. "We better get out of here. Now."

"Couldn't agree more," Newt added.

"Then let's get out of here," Leo said.

Minho glanced down at Winston. "Frypan, Jack!" he called. "Get Winston on his feet, help him along. Aris, you gather the klunk he dropped, have a couple of guys help carry it. We're leaving. I don't care how bright or brutal that light is up here – I don't feel like having my head turned into a bowling ball today."

He turned around without waiting for people to answer. "Come on, Thomas, Leo and Newt," he called over his shoulder. "The four of us are going through first."

"Oh thank god," Leo muttered.

"Let's go," Newt said, his voice sounding calm, but his face telling the truth.

Thomas nodded as he carefully stepped over Winston as he walked up to them. She kept her eyes away from Winston, feeling sick to her stomach knowing that WICKED had made that protect to kill them in a slow, painful death.

She walked beside Newt as they headed to the top right at the door, Thomas right behind them. They quickly met up with Minho, the sun seeming to wait from them to join it on the other side of the door…


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIX:**

Scorch: The Blinding and Scorching Sunlight…

* * *

Day One – Part Three – The Scorch Trials

The other _Gladers_ happily moved out of their way, glad to let them be the ones to face whatever lurked outside first. She squinted as she got closer, almost shielding her eyes entirely from the bright light.

Minho stopped on the last step which was just short of the light. He slowly held his hand out until he entered the square section of light. Despite how tan his skin was from being in the _Glade_ , his skin underneath that light looked like white fire.

After only a few seconds, Minho pulled his hand back and shook it like he'd hit his hand. "That's definitely hot. Definitely hot." He turned to face the three. "If we're gonna do this, we better have something wrapped around us or we'll have second-degree sunburns in five minutes."

"Let's empty out our packs," Newt said, already taking it off his shoulders. "Wear these sheets like bugging robes as we check things out. If it works well enough, we can stuff the food and water into half our sheets and use the other half for protection."

"We'll look like ghosts – scare away any bad guys out there."

Leo rolled her eyes, taking the pack off her shoulders. Minho just let everything drop as the _Gladers_ that were close to them quickly scrambled to stop the stuff from falling down the stairs.

"Funny boy, that Thomas," Minho said. "Let's just hope we don't have some nice _Cranks_ to greet us." He started untying the knots in the bedsheet. "I don't see how anyone could just be hanging out in that heat. Hopefully there'll be trees or some kind of shelter."

"I don't know," Newt said. "Then they might be hiding, bloody waitin' to get us or something."

"Let's just hope they ain't that smart," Leo said as she put the sheet over her head, tightly wrapping it around until it hugged her face.

"We won't know till we investigate. Let's go," Thomas said as he did the same. "How do I look?"

"Like the ugliest _shanky_ girl I've ever seen," Minho said. "You should learn a few things from Leo over here," he said, gesturing to her.

"Nah, I think he's past teaching," Leo said with a smirk.

Minho chuckled. "You better thank the gods above you were born a dude," he said to Thomas.

"Thanks."

Minho and Newt did the same process with their sheets, holding it out to make sure their faces were covered from the light, Leo and Thomas following their idea.

"You _shanks_ ready?" Minho asked, looking at each of them.

"Kind of excited, actually," Newt responded.

"If that's what you want to call it," Leo said with a nod.

"Me too. Let's go," Thomas said.

The remaining steps above them went all the way to the top, kind of like an exit from an old cellar. Minho hesitated before he ran up the stairs, not stopping until he had been completely absorbed by the light.

"Go!" Newt yelled, smacking Thomas on the back.

Thomas took a deep breath before he took off after Minho.

Leo quickly sprinted after them and Newt followed not too far behind as they emerged into the light.

And once they did, Leo quickly realised how useless the sheet was as it did nothing to stop the blinding light and the heart beating down on them. She tried to speak, but the warm air flew down her throat, making it dry as she started to cough. She shoved her hand over her mouth as she tried to breathe in her own oxygen, but it seemed to burn as the air went inside her body.

This world was very close to the ones in her dreams, but the sun didn't burn as much in her dreams and the air wasn't as toxic. Maybe that's why this place was called the _Scorch_ but her home wasn't, because this place had been affected the most.

With her eyes shut to keep the light from burning her eyes, she couldn't see where she was walking and thus tripped over Thomas' foot. As she landed on the ground, she felt her entire body starting to burn as she quickly pushed herself back to her feet, noticing how red her hands had turned.

"You guys all right?" Minho asked.

Thomas grunted a yes. Leo just groaned in response.

"Pretty sure we just arrived in bloody hell. Always thought you'd end up here, Minho, but not me," Newt said.

"Good that," Minho replied. "My eyeballs hurt, but I think I'm finally starting to get kind of used to the light."

She slowly opened her eyes, squinting once she noticed things lying on the ground in front of her that she hadn't seen before. Dirt, dust and rocks.

"Who you hiding from?" Minho asked, staring at Thomas who was crouched on the ground, covering himself head-to-toe in the white sheet. "Get up, ya _shank_ – I don't see anybody."

Thomas felt embrassement wash over as he stood back up, slowly lifting the sheet so he could look around him. His face changed as shock and dread quickly replaced it. Leo lifted the head to look at what was so bad.

A wasteland.

That's what lied in front of them, a wasteland.

Dry and lifeless earth surrounded them as far as the eye could see. No trees, no bushes, no hills or lakes. Just an orange-yellow sea of dust, rocks and dirt. It almost looked like a steam in the distance from the boiling hot air, but it was actually the gas waves in front of them that seemed to melt into the sky.

She turned to look behind her, and it was completely different to the other side. Lines of mountains in the distance and a group of buildings that looked like a pile of boxes from a distance. It looked like some kind of city, but there was no way to tell how big or if there was anybody living there from where they stood.

The sun above stated sinking over the horizon, giving them the direction of west, which meant that the town and mountains were north.

As she faced south, she wondered if the _Rat Man_ was just playing a trick of them as WICKED had done before.

Where the hell were they supposed to go? To town? Had they even been put in the right place?

"How far away do you think those buildings are?" Newt asked, his voice echoing.

"Could that be a hundred miles?" Thomas asked. "That's definitely north. Is that where we have to go?"

"But is that way too easy? This is a test remember," Leo said.

"No way, dude," Minho said, shaking his head. "I mean, we're supposed to go that way, but it's not even close to a hundred miles. Thirty at most. And the mountains might be sixty or seventy."

"Didn't know you could measure distance so well with nothing but your bloody eyeballs," Newt said.

"I'm a _Runner_ , _shuck_ -face. You get a feel for stuff like that in the _Maze_ , even if its scale was a lot smaller."

"The _Rat Man_ wasn't kidding about those sun flares," Thomas said. "Looks like a nuclear holocaust out here. I wonder if the whole word is like this."

"It is," Leo said. "Everywhere is like this. Whatever the sun flares did, it took a turn on the whole world. Just this place is worse."

She could almost hear Thomas' heart sink as all hope folded out of his body.

Minho sighed. "I'd be happy to see one tree right about now. Maybe a creek."

"I'd settle for a patch of grass," Newt said.

"Maybe even a single plant," Leo said as she stared at the horizon.

"Could this be any more different from what they put us through in the _Maze_?" Thomas asked, staring at them. "There, we were trapped inside walls, with everything we need to survive. Now we have nothing holding us in, but no way to survive unless we go where they told us to. Isn't that called irony or something like that?"

"A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result," Leo said.

"Yeah, something like that," Minho said, staring at Leo like she was an alien. "How do you even know that?"

She shrugged. "I seem to be able to remember definitions of words. Don't know why though. Must be my special talent," she said with a sarcastic laugh.

 _They can give me memories of words, but they can't give me proper memories of my life before the Maze…Of course…_

After a few seconds of silence, Minho nodded back towards the exit from the stairway. "Come on. Let's get those shanks out here and start walking. No time to waste letting the sun suck all the water out of us."

"Maybe we should wait until it goes down," Newt suggested.

"And hang out with those _shuck_ balls of metal? No way."

Leo nodded. "I'd rather poke my eye out with a rusty _shuckin_ ' knife."

"I think we're okay," Thomas said. "Looks like sunset's only a few hours away. We can be tough for a while, take a break, then go as far as possible during the night. I can't stand another minute down there."

Minho nodded.

"Sounds like a plan," Newt said. "For now, let's just make it to that dusty old town and hope it's not full of our Crank buddies."

Minho walked back to the hole and leaned over. "Hey, you bunch of sissy, no-good _shanks_! Grab all the food and get up here!"

Even though the name-calling was quite rude, none of the _Gladers_ complained as each one of them exited the stairway with the bedsheets wrapped around their heads, squinting as they lost any hope they might have had.

She really wished that _Rat Man_ had been lying when he said that this was the worst thing they were going to face. If the _Maze_ couldn't be compared to how bad this is, would anyone actually make it out alive? They'd lost so many people in the _Glade_ , how many would they lose in the _Scorch_?

…

Adjustments had to be made to their original plans. The food and water bags were stuffed even tighter into half of the original packs – the other sheets being used to cover two people at a time as they walked together.

And somehow, the plan worked.

Minho insisted to be the only one who travelled by himself as he was the leader, making everyone pair up. She had quickly paired up with Newt to avoid having to be next to Emil for that long, not trusting him enough.

Thomas shared a bedsheet with Aris as everyone walked down the path towards the city. Emil had to share with Frypan, who was not happy in the slightest about sharing with him.

Leo held onto the sheet with her left right, using her right to hold the heavy pack over her shoulder. Newt held onto the right side, making sure to take over with holding the pack every thirty minutes or so.

Step by step, the _Gladers_ made their way towards town, the heat seeming to take a full day's worth of their lives away every hundred meters.

"Want me to take over?" Newt asked, noticing her struggling a little.

"It's only been twenty minutes," she said, adjusting the pack on her shoulder so it moved down her right arm for Newt to grab with his left.

"I'd rather break my bloody shoulder than yours," he said with a smirk as he slipped it over his shoulder.

"Must you do this to me all the time?"

"Do what?"

"Make me fall in love with you all over again?"

A smile made its way to his face as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. "You do that to me by existing."

She gave him a smile as she stood on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek in return, making Minho give a gagging sound as he walked past them. "Affection to a minimum please," he said with a smirk.

"Oh please," Leo said. "If you had a girlfriend, you'd be doing the same."

"Trust me _shank_ , I'd be doing a bit more than that." He gave the two a wink before he headed to the front of the group, leading the way once again.

…

"So, you've never heard the name Teresa before?" Thomas asked.

Leo turned her head slightly to see Thomas asking Aris, who was glaring back at him. "Well? Have you?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing that Thomas must have forgotten what the word subtlety meant.

"No. Never," Aris said. "I don't know who she is or where she went. But at least you didn't see her die right in front of you."

Leo grimaced at the harsh words, looking over at Newt who was shaking his head in annoyance.

"Those two have great conversations," he whispered to her, which made her laugh. She nodded as the two continued to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"I know, sorry," Thomas said. "How close were you guys? What was her name, again?"

"Rachel." Aris paused. "We were way more than close. Things happened. We remembered stuff. Made new memories."

"Yeah. I did see a really good friend die, though. Every time I think about Chuck I get ticked off all over again. If they've done the same thing to Teresa, they won't be able to stop me. Nothing will. They'll all die."

"When did those two get together?" Leo whispered as the two held hands as they continued to walk right in front of them.

"We must have missed a lot," Newt whispered back with a shrug.

"What do you think-?"

"There! Up ahead!" Frypan shouted, making everyone stop in their tracks. He pointed in front of them into the distance.

Up far ahead, two people were running towards them, their bodies like ghosts in the gas waves.

"Who the hell are they?" Leo whispered, her grip on his hand getting tighter. He didn't know what to say, but he didn't complain as she gripped his hand. He just kept his stare focused on the people running towards them.

"Everyone pack in tighter," Minho said. "And get ready to fight these shanks the first sign of trouble."

She almost stopped breathing when the figures came into focus, noticing something off about them.

They were _Cranks_.

The two stopped a couple of meters in front of the _Gladers_ , one of them being a man and the other a woman. Other than the woman having a slightly curvy figure, they were both tall and scrawny. Their heads and faces were covered in beige coloured cloth, small slits cut for them to see and breathe. Their shirts and pants had fabric from other pieces of clothing sewn onto them, tied together with strips of demin. Nothing of them was exposed to the sun expect for their hands that were red and cracked with scabs.

The two stood there panting, trying to catch their breath.

"Who are you?" Minho called.

The two didn't move or respond.

"Who are you?" he repeated.

Instead of giving an answer, the two split apart and walked around in a circle around the bunched up _Gladers_. Their eyes stayed fixed on each of them as they made their way around, gazing at them like they were ready to pounce and kill. Leo felt a bit of tension as she backed away from the woman who had stopped right in front of her. She moved closer to stare at her, standing only a few centimetres away from Leo's face as they two held eye contact.

She could feel the woman's hot breath on her face, but she knew she couldn't look away or the woman might attack. The woman gave her a small smirk before she stepped back, slowly making her way back to the front as she met up with the male.

"There are a whole lot more of us than there are of you," Minho said. "Start talking. Tell us who you are."

"We're _Cranks_."

The woman had answered, and she sounded every annoyed at the question.

" _Cranks_?" Minho said as he pushed through the crowd to get closer. "Just like the ones that tried to break into our building a couple days ago?"

"We're _Cranks_ ," the male said. "Came to see if you're _Cranks_. Came to see if you've got the _Flare_."

Minho looked back at them, his eyebrow raised, but no one said anything. He turned back to the _Cranks_. "Some dude told us we had the _Flare_ , yeah. What can you tell us about it?"

"Don't matter," the man said. "You got it, you'll know soon enough."

"Well, what do you bloody want?" Newt asked. "What's it matter to you if we're _Cranks_ or not?"

"How'd you get in the _Scorch_?" the woman asked. "Where'd you come from? How'd you get here?"

Minho leaned over to consult with Newt, then turned and stepped closer to the rest of them. "What do we tell these people?"

"I don't know," Thomas said. "The truth? It can't hurt."

"I bet it can. Anything can hurt us," Leo muttered, making the woman look over.

"The truth?" Minho said sarcastically. "What an idea, Thomas. You're freaking brilliant, as usual." He faced the _Cranks_. "We were sent here by WICKED. Came out of a hole just a little while that way, from a tunnel. We're supposed to go one hundred miles to the north, cross the _Scorch_. Any of that mean a thing to you?"

"Not all _Cranks_ are gone," the man said, almost as if he hadn't heard them. "Not all of them are past the _Gone_. Different ones at different levels. Best you learn who to make friends with and who to avoid. Or kill. Better learn right quick if you're coming our way."

"What's your way?" Minho asked. "You came from that town, right? Is that where all these _Cranks_ live? Is there food and water there?"

But, they didn't answer. Instead, they separated again as the circled around the _Gladers_. The woman, once again, stopped in front of Leo but moved even closer this time. The _Gladers_ around her quickly took a step back, but Leo knew she couldn't take a step back and show this woman her fear.

The woman gave another smirk as she reached her arm out to touch Leo's arm dragging her long, jagged nail across Leo's skin. She winced as it cut past the skin and drew a small bit of blood that slithered down her arm.

"Such beautiful skin," she murmured, staring down at her own hands that were red and blistered. She gave another groan as she stared Leo in the eyes, almost like she was trying to figure her out, or what she wanted from her.

"What are you staring at?" Leo asked.

"Such pretty green eyes, mine are a hopeless brown…I wish I had those." She took a step backwards as she went back to join with the male _Crank_ , standing back in front of them.

Leo held onto her bleeding arm, hissing in pain at the woman.

"If you don't have it yet, you'll have it soon," the woman said. "Same with the other group. The ones that're supposed to kill you."

The _Cranks_ turned around and ran back towards the group of buildings in the horizon, leaving the _Gladers_ in a confused silence. Any evidence of the _Cranks_ being there vanished in a blur of heat and dust.

"Other group?" Frypan asked.

"Wonder if they're talking about my group," Aris said.

"Group B?" Thomas asked. "You think they've already made it to the town?"

"Maybe they were placed there at the start?" Leo questioned.

"Hello!" Minho snapped. "Who cares? You'd think the little part about them supposedly killing us would be the attention getter. Maybe this stuff about the _Flare_?"

"Maybe when she said 'you' she didn't mean all of us," Thomas said. "Maybe she meant me specifically. Couldn't tell where her eyes were looking."

"I know she were looking at me a lot," Leo said as she looked down at her arm. It had stopped bleeding, and now the blood was smeared on her hand. "Darn _shucking_ bugger," she muttered.

"How's she gonna know who you are?" Minho asked Thomas. "Plus, doesn't matter. If someone tries to kill you, or me, or anybody else, they might as well try to get all of us. Right?"

"You're so sweet," Frypan said, snorting. "Go ahead and die with Thomas. I think I'll sneak away and enjoy living with the guilt."

"Well, what do we do now?" Jack asked, Winston's arm around his shoulder.

"What do you think?" Newt asked, nodding at Minho.

Minho rolled his eyes. "We keep going, that's what. Look, we don't have a choice. If we don't go to that town, we're gonna die out here of sunstroke or starvation. If we do go, we'll have some shelter for a while, maybe even food. _Cranks_ or no _Cranks_ , that's where we're going."

"And Group B?" Thomas asked, glancing at Aris. "Or whoever they were talking about. What if they really do wanna kill us? All we have to fight with our hands."

Minho flexed his right arm. "If these people are really the girls Aris was hanging out with, I'll show 'em these guns of mine and they'll go running."

"And if these girls have weapons? Or can fight? Or if it's not them at all but a bunch of seven-foot-tall grunts who like to eat humans? Or a thousand _Cranks_?"

"Thomas…no. Everybody. Would everyone just shut their holes and _slim_ it? No more questions. Unless you have an idea that doesn't involve absolute certain death, then quit your pipin' and let's take the only chance we got. Get it?"

Once everyone had gone quiet, Minho nodded. "That's better. Anybody else wanna pee their pants and cry for Mommy?"

"Can I at least have a bandage?" Leo asked, seeing that the cut started bleeding again. Minho looked at her arm and then at her hands.

"Do we have a spare sheet or something?" he asked. Newt ripped off part of the sheet that he was holding and gave it to her. As she wrapped it around her arm, Minho continued.

"Good. Newt, you lead up front this time, limp and all. Leo…" He paused, then looked at Newt, then back to Leo. "You're leading with Newt." Then he went back to addressing everyone. "Thomas, you in the back. Jack, get someone else to help with Winston to give you a break. Let's go."

Leo rushed over to Newt as he started to walk, leading the group as they headed for the city. As she drew closer, he held up the remaining sheet and pulled her close to him, making sure she was shielded from the sun.

"Thanks for the 'bandage' by the way," she said with a smile.

"Don't worry about it."

…

Sometimes they jogged, sometimes they walked, but none the less they continued to make their way across the _Scorch_. When Leo looked down at her watch to check the time, she noticed that only an hour had passed since the encounter with the _Cranks_.

The sky had now turned a purple-orange and the glare of the sun started to fade into more of a pleasant sunset. She had almost stopped what she was doing just to watch the sun set, forgetting how beautiful it looked. In the _Glade_ , the sun had been artificial and it had gone from day to night so quickly that it hadn't seemed real.

As she looked around them, she wondered how something so beautiful could exist in such a destroyed and messed up place. The _Gladers_ kept moving, heading towards the faint lights coming from the city. She smiled, enjoying the view as night finally settled in and the stars shone across the sky like a curtain.

Newt slowly pulled the sheet down, holding it in his hands as he carried the pack over his shoulder. She held onto his hand, taking any chance she could to be next to him. She knew that they could die from either the _Flare_ , the _Cranks_ or WICKED, and she wanted her possible last moments to be with him.

Finally, the last trace of dusk had vanished as the darkness set in like a fog.

And then, they heard a girl scream.

She and Newt quickly stopped in their tracks as they looked at each other, wondering what was going on. She hoped that the screaming was just their imagination and that none of this was really happening. But with the sound of dry footsteps, the rustling of packs, whispers of conversation and heavy breathing, it was hard to tell.

The others had noticed the screaming too as everyone stopped running. Once everyone'd caught their breath, it became much easier to hear the sound. The scream was like a dying cat, making Leo's skin crawl as they continued. She had to put her hands to her ears to cover them from the dreaded sound.

"Leo?" Emil asked.

"Not me idiots," she said, glaring at everyone behind her.

"Just 'cause he's got a girly scream, doesn't make him a girl," Frypan said.

"You know what that reminds me of?" Minho asked.

"Ben. Alby. Me, I guess?" Thomas asked. "Screaming after the _Griever_ sting?"

"You got it."

"No, no, no," Frypan moaned. "Don't tell me we're gonna have those suckers out here, too. I can't take it!"

" _Grievers_? Doubt it," Newt said. "Remember how moist and gooey their skin was? They'd turn into a big dust ball if they rolled around in this stuff."

"Well," Thomas said, "if WICKED can create _Grievers_ , they can create plenty of other freaks of nature that might be worse. Hate to say it, but that rat-looking guy said things were finally going to get tough."

"Once again, Thomas give us a cheerful pep talk," Frypan said.

"Just saying it how it is."

Frypan huffed. "I know. And how it is sucks big-time."

"What now?" Thomas asked.

"I think we should take a break," Minho said. "Fill our little tummies and drink up. Then we should book it for as long as we can stand it while the sun is still down. Maybe get a couple hours' sleep before dawn."

"And the psycho screaming lady out there?" Frypan asked.

"Sounds like she's plenty busy with her own troubles."

Everyone at Minho's command sat down and started eating the food that they had packed, ignoring the girl as she continued to scream.

…

"Man, I wish she'd shut up," Aris said for about the fifth time as they ran across the pitch black night. The poor girl was still out there in the dark and she was still screaming her lungs out.

Above them, the moon was silver, barely giving them any more light than the stars in the sky. But there wasn't much to see as they ran across the flat land. Unless her mind way suddenly playing tricks on her, it looked like they were getting closer to the lights coming from the town. But seeing the way they flickered, it made her think there were fires instead of lights.

She wasn't sure how it was possible, but the buildings they had been running towards seemed much closer than they had five minutes ago, and there were a lot more of them than she had originally thought. Taller and wider too.

Minho quickly interrupted her thoughts with a yell as he made everyone stop in their tracks.

"Potty break," he said, his hands on his hips. "Bury your _klunk_ and don't do it too close. We'll rest for fifteen, then we'll just walk awhile. I know you shanks can't keep up with _Runners_ like me, Leo and Thomas."

Leo rolled her eyes, hating being called a _Runner_. She had no idea why she thought this, but now that they had escape the _Maze_ , the title seemed to offend her. She took a deep breath, relaxing as she closed than opened her eyes, wondering if she would be able to see anything new. But then, she noticed something.

A shape a few hundred yards in front of them, a square of darkness against the glow of town.

"Hey!" Thomas yelled, pointing towards it. "Looks like a little building up there, just a few minutes away, to the right some. You guys see it?"

Leo nodded, grunting a yes.

"Yeah, I see it," Minho responded, standing next to them. "Wonder what it is."

Suddenly, the girls screams suddenly stopped, cut short as if something had closed in on her. And then, stepping out from behind the dark building was a figure of a girl with long black hair like silk.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVEN:**

Scorch: Mysterious Girls and Crazy Old Men…

* * *

Day One – Part Four – The Scorch Trials

There was no way that girl could have been her. And how was it possible that all twenty of them, excluding Aris, knew that it was her? All they saw was a girl's figure with black hair, and that immediately made them think of Teresa.

One she'd stepped out of the building, she just stood there, and despite being covered by the shadows her stance made it clear that she was facing directly at them with her arms folded.

"You think that's Teresa?" Newt asked.

Thomas nodded. But then he quickly looked around, embarrassed from his quick reaction. "No clue," he said.

"You think she was the one screaming?" Frypan asked. "It stopped right when she walked out."

Minho grunted. "Better bet is she was the one torturing somebody. Probably killed her and put her out of her misery when she saw us coming."

"Couldn't agree more," Leo muttered, earning a glare from Thomas.

Minho clapped his hands together once. "Okay, then, who wants to go meet this nice young lady?"

"I'll do it," Thomas said, almost like a shout.

"I was just kidding, _shuck_ -face," Minho said. "Let's all go over there. She could have an army of psycho girl ninjas hiding in that shack of hers."

"Psycho girl ninjas?" Newt repeated.

"That's the best name you can up with?" Leo asked, crossing her arms.

"Yep. Let's go." Minho started walking forward.

"No!" Thomas yelled. He then quickly realised his outburst and lowered his voice. "No. You guys stay here – I'll go talk to her. Maybe it's a trap or something. We'd be idiots to all go over there and fall right into it."

"And you're not an idiot for going by yourself?" Minho asked.

"Well, we can't just walk on by without checking it out. I'll go. If something happens or gets suspicious, I'll call for help."

Minho paused. "All right. Go. Our brave little _shank_." He whacked Thomas on the back as he winced.

"This is bloody stupid," Newt interrupted. "I'll go with him."

"No!" Thomas snapped. "Just…let me do this. Something tells me we need to be careful. If I cry like a baby, come and save me." And before anyone else could argue, he took off into a speed walk towards the girl and the building.

Leo shook her head, rolling her eyes. "'Something tells me we need to be careful?'" She scoffed. "Yeah right. He just wants to go alone so he can get some alone time with her."

Minho turned to the other _Gladers_. "Well, while Thomas is gone to get some action, we'll get the rest of our plan sorted out. Once he gets back, we'll set off again."

The _Gladers_ nodded, some of them going off to the toilet while others sat down and took a sip of water from the cloth.

Leo sighed as she sat down, staring at the millions of stars in the sky, wondering how she could have survived the nights in the _Glade_ without them. They made the night seem so beautiful, no matter how chaotic it might seem. It made things seem peaceful, unlike the fake sky they were forced to look at during their times in the _Glade_.

"How long do you think he'll be?" Minho asked as he checked his watch.

"A couple of minutes, give or take," Leo said as she lied down on the ground.

"Only a couple of minutes?" Newt asked.

"Man, you give Thomas a lot of credit don't ya?" Minho asked with a chuckle, almost making her laugh.

"What?" Newt asked, unaware of the topic.

She smiled. "Never mind, Newt. You're too innocent for this."

"How do you have a girlfriend again?" Minho asked.

"Because I'm clearly better," Newt replied.

"If I'd of known first, I would have swopped in and stole her," he said.

Newt lied down next to her, pulling her closer to him. "Good thing I got in first then, huh?"

"It's a very good thing," Leo said as she closed her eyes, loving the warmth from his embrace even if it was still quite warm.

As she lied there with both Newt and Minho, she wished she could have been born in a different generation before the _Flare_ hit, before the Sun Flares, before everything. Maybe she and Newt could have met in London and could have formed this same relationship without the fear of death and WICKED?

Maybe life would have turned out much better for them.

…

The _Gladers_ were all now talking in a circle, waiting for the arrival of Thomas. Only a minute had passed since their last conversation and now they were all planning their next moves.

As Leo stood up to stretch, she noticed something off in the distance, a figure stumbling towards them. "Is that Thomas?" she asked as she squinted, trying to make out the figure.

"Could be a _Crank_ ," Frypan said as he stood up, a worried glance on his face.

As the figure kept coming closer, more _Gladers_ stood up to take a look.

"It's just Thomas," Minho said as he took a step forward.

Before she knew it, Thomas stood right in front of them, his eyes filled with unshed tears.

"Thomas, what happened?"

"Was it her?"

"Are you alright?"

"Thomas, what's going on?" Minho asked, but Thomas refused to answer any of the _Gladers_ questions.

"We need to go. Now. As fast as we can," he said.

"Why? What happened out there?" Leo asked.

He shook his head. "I'll explain later, but we need to go now if we want to live."

He didn't wait for anyone else as he grabbed the pack from Aris and headed off towards town, sprinting until he was far enough away from everyone.

"Thomas!" Newt shouted, but he wouldn't listen as he continued to walk.

Minho rolled his eyes. "You heard the man. Let's go." He grabbed his pack and started walking after Thomas.

Newt grabbed the pack as him and Leo followed behind them. She could hear the other Gladers whispers as they also got their backs and started walking.

"What's gotten into him?" Leo asked.

"Have no idea. Must be something bad though," Newt said as he looked at the stumbling Thomas in the distance.

"He didn't seem injured, so it must have been Teresa. I just wonder what she bloody did to him," Leo said.

Newt nodded. "Yeah, me too."

…

They had been walking for about an hour or two before they noticed Thomas had stopped. He faced towards them as he watched all the _Gladers_ trying to catch up with him. He knelt down, planting his forearms onto his knees.

"What's he doing now?" Leo asked, completely annoyed.

" _Shuck_ if I know," Newt said as they walked a bit faster to catch up to him.

Minho had gotten there first and she knew the confrontation between the two wouldn't have been the prettiest. The two were close enough to hear the conversation as they continued to walk.

"What…Why…What kind of a _shuck_ idiot are you, Thomas?"

Thomas didn't answer, so Minho knelt down beside him. "How could you do that? How could you just come out of there and take off like that? Without explaining anything? Since when is that how we do things? You slinthead."

Leo sighed with relief as she stood there, catching her breath. They had finally caught up with them, the other _Gladers_ not too far behind.

"Sorry," Thomas said. "It was kinda traumatising."

"Traumatising?" Minho asked. "Who did you see in there? What did they say?"

"It was…it was Teresa."

"Told you," Leo whispered to Newt, who nodded.

"There's no way!"

"How can she be here?"

"It wasn't her!"

"You're lying!"

The sudden accusations flew from the _Gladers_ ' mouths, but Thomas seemed to pay no attention to them, listening to Minho instead.

"What?" he asked. "You're serious."

Thomas nodded.

"And you left her there? Dude, you need to start talking and tell us what happened."

Thomas sighed, the pain evident on his face from having to tell them. But he did anyway. "When…When I arrived at the building, I called out for her. I was trying to talk to her when she lit the candle on the table next to us. She was perfectly clean, like she hadn't been walking through the _Scorch_ like all of us. She looked like she did when she came into the _Glade_ , perfectly normal looking. But, she was crying, bursting into tears. I tried…I tried to ask her what was wrong when she screamed and panicked, telling me to get away from her, acting like I was going to hurt her. She acted just like Gally had before he went to the _Grievers_ , like someone who'd gone through the _Changing_." He paused, taking a deep breath, wondering if he should mention something, but decided against it. "Like before he killed…And then she told me to get away from her and that we need to leave."

"Wow," Minho said, pretty much wrapping it all up with that one word.

Several minutes had passed, no one saying a word. The only sounds in the silent night were the sounds of sniffs, breaths, coughs and people drinking water.

"It was some kind of trap," Thomas said. "I don't know what would've happened, or how many of us would've died. Maybe all of us. But I could see that there wasn't any doubt in her eyes when she broke away from whatever restrained her. She saved us, and I bet they made her…" He swallowed. "I bet they make her pay for it."

Minho squeezed Thomas' shoulder. "Dude, if those _shuck_ WICKED people wanted her dead, she'd be rotting under a big pile of rocks. She's just as tough as anybody else, maybe tougher. She'll survive."

Thomas took a deep breath. "I know. Somehow I know."

Minho stood up. "We should've stopped a couple hours ago to get some sleep. But thanks to Mr. Desert Runner down here-" he lightly whacked Thomas in the head – "we ran ourselves ragged till the freaking sun came back up. I still think we need to rest for a while. Do it under the sheets, whatever, but let's try."

Leo sighed with relief as she lied down, closing her eyes as she tried to get as much sleep as she could. It had seemed much easier than she originally thought, because it only took a minute before she fell into a deep sleep. But, the sleep surely wasn't peaceful. That would be an understatement.

…

She was in the same street as before, but this time her skin had turned a bright red from the sun shining down on her for several hours. She lifted her head off the ground, noticing her wig had disappeared once again, but this time she was wearing a long, flowing white dress with matching white shoes and her hair had been braided with white flowers.

She looked around her as she stood up, noticing that her dress had no trace of dust or dirt, and it almost seemed blinding compared to everything else in the street. She wiped her brow as she took a step forward, trying to navigate herself underneath the blazing sun. It was oddly quiet compared to her other dreams, and there was no sight of those horrible creatures, or the house the little girl had been staying in.

As she walked down the street, she noticed that all the bodies that had been previously lying there had disappeared, along with the blood stains along the road. It was almost as if she was just in purgatory, and she was just in limbo walking down the same street.

After ten minutes, she finally saw something. A figure dressed completely in white like herself, which made her hesitant to approach them. As she got closer, she noticed the figure was a small boy who looked very familiar. Once she was in ten meters of the boy, she finally figured out that the boy was Emil, standing there with a smile on his face.

"Wait," she muttered to herself. "This is just like before."

She noticed Emil slowly approaching her, and only then did she know she had to run away. She quickly turned back around, not wanting to face another nightmare of Emil stabbing her to death.

But no matter how fast she might have been in real life, in her dreams she was as slow as a sloth. Emil quickly caught up to her as he walked, that smile still on his face.

" _Why are you running away_?" he asked as she continued to run, but her legs wouldn't move fast enough. Emil grabbed hold of her shoulder and turned her around, pulling her close enough to stab her in the chest.

She coughed up blood almost immediately as it fell into his hair, but he didn't seem to care as he kept stabbing and stabbing.

" _This is the bad things I need to do_ ," he whispered before he let go of her, making her drop to the ground as she felt the air leaving her body, the blood pooling onto the street and sizzling under the sun.

" _This is what needed to be done…_ "

* * *

Day Two – The Scorch Trials

Leo almost screamed as she shot up from her nightmare, taking deep panicked breaths as she tried to calm herself down. Her skin started to burn as the sun started to rise and shine through the mountain tops, blinding her for a second.

"Leo?" Newt asked as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He noticed how distressed she looked and immediately knew what was wrong.

"Just…another nightmare," she said as she placed the pins in her hair, checking to see if the other _Gladers_ were awake. Most of them were still asleep, and if they weren't, they were off going to the toilet.

"He's not gonna lay a hand on you," Newt whispered as he moved closer, resting his hand on top of hers.

"How can you be so sure?" she asked, making sure that Emil was still asleep before she looked back at Newt.

"Cause I'll kill him first."

She gave a quiet laugh as she leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers with a small smile. "While I might not appreciate the thought of murdering someone, thanks," she whispered.

"For what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow before she smiled again.

"For just being here."

…

After only a few minutes, everyone was up and getting ready for the day. The sun had finally risen and it had become so unbearable that it made it impossible for anyone to sleep through. Even Emil had woken up early because of it.

The _Gladers_ remained quiet as they got themselves ready for the journey. There was nothing to be happy or excited about the journey. They were pretty much marching into their deaths. But, she had a little bit of hope that they would find out what had happened in the town and that they could get the cure for the disease they now supposedly carried.

"Let's go," Minho said once everyone was ready. And then they were off.

Across the dusty land they walked. No one needed to say anything as everyone pretty much had the same thoughts – they had no energy to run while the sun was up. It took too much out of them, mostly because of the scorching heat, which is why they called it the _Scorch_.

Sheets covered their heads as they wore it for protection, splitting off into pairs to save more resources. As the food and water started to diminish, they were able to use more of the packs for protection from the sun.

Today, Leo walked by herself, one of the remaining packs strapped onto her shoulder, which is the price she payed for being told to take one by herself. Besides her, Thomas was the only other one to walk by himself as most of the _Gladers_ didn't want to talk to him after hearing the story of him and Teresa. It didn't help that he was actively trying to avoid everyone.

She felt like her life was back on a never-ending cycle.

Walking. Break. Food and Water. Walking. Repeat.

There never seemed anything that could break it. And then, of course, the wind grew stronger as it brought more dust and grit rather than relief from the heat. It whipped at the sheets, making it much harder for her to keep it in place. She coughed and rubbed the crud from her eyes with one hand as she continued to walk. Anytime she could, she took a sip of water, feeling like she needed much more than what she took – almost like she was addicted to the taste of water.

Soon, she could make out the figures of the buildings which were made of stone and the windows glimmered in the sunlight – some of them broken. The streets seemed empty. It pretty much felt the same as her dreams. No civilisation, no safe place to hide, nothing to save them. She wondered how that girl in her dreams had lived through the heat and the lack of food and the creatures roaming around.

She wondered how long it would take before they reached the city. Would it be tomorrow? She highly doubted that. It seemed too far away for that.

Walking. Breaks. Heat.

The endless cycle of the _Scorch_.

When night finally came, the wind picked up even stronger, this time bringing a slight chill along with it. Leo was so grateful for something besides the heat as the chill felt almost refreshing.

At midnight, Minho called for them all to stop and get some sleep, the city becoming closer and the wind growing stronger. It blew in gales, whipping and curling.

Soon as they had stopped, Leo collapsed into a deep slumber as she listened to the "peaceful" sounds of the night as she drifted away from all her troubles. And that night, she didn't have a single dream, just black. It was so rare now-a-days that she felt like celebrating in her sub-conscious.

But, that would be stupid.

* * *

Day Three – Part One – The Scorch Trials

The light made her wake to see a grey sky covered in thick layers of clouds. It reminded her of being in the _Glade_ when the sky had stopped working, leaving them with nothing but a dull grey.

When she looked over towards the city, she realised how close they were, only a few hours away it seemed. The buildings were huge and the windows inside were shattered like jagged teeth.

She rubbed her head and the wig to remove the grime as the wind continued to rage down on them. Most of the _Gladers_ were up now, getting ready to start walking again as they studied the sudden change in weather.

She was forced to wait around for a few minutes before the last person woke up, and of course, it had to be Thomas.

"Bout time you woke up!" Minho shouted, trying to keep his voice louder than the roaring winds.

Thomas rubbed his eyes as he stood up. "Where'd this all come from?" he yelled. "I thought we were in the middle of a desert!"

"Well, guess it has to rain in the desert sometime."

"But the whole point of a desert is that it doesn't rain!" Leo shouted, holding the wig down as the winds kept getting stronger.

"Does it matter?" Minho yelled, before he turned back to Thomas. "Hurry and eat – we gotta get going. Maybe we can get there and find a place to hide before we're soaked by the storm."

"What if we get there and a bunch of _Cranks_ try to kill us?" Thomas asked.

"Then we'll fight 'em!" Minho frowned. "What else you wanna do? We're almost out of food and water."

"All right, then. Let's go. I'll eat one of those granola things while we walk."

A few minutes later and they were heading towards the city again, the grey sky above them ready to burst out a pour of rain at any second. There was only a couple of miles between them and the closest building.

Then, they found an old man lying down in the sand on his back, wrapped up in blankets.

"Who's that?" Jack asked as he pointed to him.

"I don't know," Minho said. "Let's find out."

They all walked closer to the old man, soon forming a circle around him as they all stared down at him. The man looked to be about a hundred years old, but that could have been from the wear and tear of the boiling sun. Wrinkles, a leathery face, scabs and sores where his hair used to be and burnt skin.

He was alive, deeply breathing as he gazed up at the sky with emptiness in his eyes. He showed no sign that he had even noticed them approaching him.

"Hey! Old man!" Minho shouted. "What're you doing out here?"

None of them were sure if the old man had heard him over the sounds of the rippling wind, but if he did, he didn't give them any indication that he had.

Thomas nudged Minho out of the way, kneeling down beside the man's face. "Sir?" he asked. "Mister? Can you hear me? Can you talk?"

"Where the hell'd you learn those fancy words?" Leo asked as she moved next to him.

Thomas shrugged, not seeming to know himself how he knew.

Newt knelt down next to him. "This guy's a bloody gold mine if we can get him to tell us stuff about the city. Looks harmless, probably knows what to expect when we go in there."

Thomas sighed. "Yeah, but he doesn't even seem to be able to hear us, much less have a long talk."

"Keep trying," Minho said. "You're officially our foreign ambassador, Thomas. Get the dude to open up and tell us about the good ol' days."

"Okay."

He moved closer to the man's head. "Sir? We really need your help! We need you to tell us if it's safe to go inside the city. We can carry you there if you need help yourself. Sir? Sir!"

The old man's lips slightly parted, but nothing came out expect a cough.

"My name is Thomas. These are my friends. We've been walking through the desert for a couple of days, and we need more water and food. What do you..?"

He trailed off when the man's eyes flicked back and forth, panic forming.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you," he said. "We're….we're the good guys. But we'd really appreciate it if-"

The man's left hand shot up from underneath the blankets, grabbing hold of Thomas' wrist as he cried out and tried to pull his arm free. Thomas could barely move as the man's grip wouldn't falter.

"Hey! Let go of me!"

The man shook his head, his eyes suddenly filled with fear. He parted his lips again, and this time a rough whisper came from his mouth.

"What'd you say?" Thomas shouted.

The man spoke again. The only words she got out of the whisper were "storm" and "terror" and "bad people".

"One more time!" Thomas yelled.

"Storm coming…full of terror…brings out…stay away…bad people."

The man shot up to an upright position. "Storm! Storm! Storm!" He didn't stop repeating the word over and over, saliva falling from his mouth as he cried.

Thomas stumbled backwards as the man roughly let go of his arm, almost making him knock Leo over as he collided into her legs. The wind intensified, almost knocking her off her feet as the man's screaming words became lost in the loud roars of the wind.

She felt like her clothes and her wig would fly right off of her and soar through the air, ready to carry her along with them. Newt grabbed hold of her so they both could keep each other balance, some of the other _Gladers_ doing the same as the winds grew stronger.

Thomas got back to his feet before he stumbled several feet before he leaned his back against the wind, keeping himself stable against it.

Minho waved his arms around frantically, trying to get everyone's attention through the wind. Newt and Leo quickly noticed him and rushed over to him, fighting the wind as the other _Gladers_ did the same.

The old man's blankets were lost in the wind, making him huddle on the ground in the fetal position, his skinny legs squeezed to his chest as he closed his eyes to pray. She wished she could help him, but she knew there was no way he would let them. He'd fight them off, and all of them would be dead.

Minho pointed over to the city, the closest building half an hour away if they ran. As the wind tore through them, the clouds thickened and churned as they changed to a dark purple – almost black – and the dust and debris flew at them.

The building seemed the safest option at that point.

Minho started running as everyone else followed close behind, Newt holding onto Leo's hand as they ran. They were lucky enough that they didn't have to run against the wind, or else this process would have been almost impossible.

And the old man's words didn't help with their situation either.

As if they didn't have enough things to worry about…


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHT:**

Scorch: Sudden Storms and Lightning Strikes…

* * *

Day Three – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

As they got closer to the city, it became harder for Leo to see anything. The dust in the air had formed into a brown fog, breathing it into her lungs with a cough. It made her eyes water and she had to keep wiping them away while still squinting to try and see through. The large building they were travelling towards had now become a looming shadow that hid behind a cloud of dust, growing taller like a giant.

The wind had gained a sudden roughness as it hit her with the sand and grit until it started hurting her face. Every once in a while, a large object would past her and scare her as she stood frozen. A branch. A small mouse? A piece of roofing tile. Scraps of paper. All these things were swirling in the wind like dangerous snowflakes.

And then, came the lightning.

They had gotten about halfway towards the building when the bolts of lightning came out of nowhere, and the world surrounding them erupted into flashing lights and booming thunder.

They fell down from the sky in jagged streaks, slamming into the ground and throwing up massive amounts of earth that had now been burnt to a crisp. Leo's ears started going numb from the loud crashing noises, the noises fading to a hum as she started to go deaf.

But she kept running. Even though she was pretty much blind and deaf, she continued to push through. People fell down but quickly got back up. She watched as Thomas helped Newt get back to his feet, and then Frypan. She stumbled quite a few times, but always maintained her balance, which seemed like a mystery to her.

It was only a matter of time before the lightning struck someone, frying them until they turned into blackened char. The hair on the back of her neck stood up on edge, despite the ripping wind and the static in the air.

No matter how much she screamed, and no matter how much she choked from the hard air going into her lungs, she still was unable to hear her own voice besides it being dull vibrations inside her skull. She fell down to the ground in a coughing fit, her eyes watering as she gagged as more and more dust made its way into her body.

Newt quickly covered her mouth as he pulled her back to her feet, shouting something that she couldn't hear before he grabbed her hand and forced her to run beside him. She had to take short, quick breaths through her nose as the air smelt of copper and ash from the lightning strikes.

The sky darkened further, the dust cloud becoming thicker as she quickly realised that she could only see the people just around her, and everyone else had seemed to disappear in the darkness.

Flashing lights blinded her even more, a short burst of white light illuminating them for just a brief second. But, there was no rain? Why? What kind of storm only involved thunder and lightning with no rain.

A bolt of lightning zigzagged from the sky and exploded on the ground right in front of them, making Newt quickly grab hold of her and through them both to the right. She screamed as they landed down on the ground, the break getting knocked from her as a spray of dirt and rocks rained down on them. She gasped for air as she scrambled back to her hands and knees, noticing Newt doing the same as they looked at the spot where they would have been burnt if they hadn't moved. Leo finally got the air back into her lungs as Newt quickly helped to her feet, her legs shaking.

There was a loud ringing now in her ears, a steady, high-pitched buzz that felt like nails scrapping in her ears. Dirt stung on her skin as the wind tried to rip the clothes off her skin, the darkness swirling around them like a living night that was broken only by the flashes of lightning.

She noticed Thomas leaping to the ground as the lightning just barely missing him as her and Newt looked at each other, before running off over to him to check if he was okay. But as he stumbled back to his feet, Leo stopped frozen in her tracks as her legs gave out as she collapsed down onto the ground.

It was Jack, laying down on the ground inside a small crater, writhing as he clutched his knee. There was nothing below that – no shin, ankle or foot, obliterated by the burst of electricity from the sky. Blood that looked like black tar gushed out from the wound, making a paste with the dirt. His clothes had been burned off, leaving his naked with injuries spreading across his whole body. He had no hair and his eyeballs looked like…

Leo hurled, her throat burning with acid along with the dust making its way into her body as she continued to empty her guts out as she coughed and spluttered.

He was still alive. His mouth was moving, but she couldn't hear his screams from his injury. And there was nothing any of them could do for him.

Newt quickly grabbed hold of her again and pulled her to her feet, saying something to her that she couldn't make out, even when she tried to read his lips. What she thought he said was:

"We need to go! Now! C'mon!"

Stumbling, her stomach muscles sore from the pressure of throwing up, her ears ringing in agony, she ran with him as they held hands, him leading her way through the lightning strikes and darkness. She could make out lumps of shadows on either side, but only a few of them. All she could see besides the lightning strikes was dust, debris and the towering shape of the building. They had all lost hope of staying as a group – it was every _Glader_ for themselves now, expect for Leo and Newt who that if they separated, one of them wouldn't make it out alive.

Can you guess which one?

Wind. Explosions of light. Wind. Choking dust. Wind. Ringing in her ears. Pain. Wind.

She kept going along with Newt, making sure his grip on her hand never left or softened. At that moment, she didn't care about the other _Gladers_ , nor that she could become permanently deaf. She only cared about getting out of there. To get inside that building. To live just one more day.

All around the two of them, the lightning continued to fall down like arrows of white fire. She could feel the silent impact from the explosions, each one rattling the inside of her skull as her legs shook. Flashes of light all around.

Past the building where they stumbled and staggered, even more fires had started; two or three times she saw the lightning making direct contact with the upper leaves of the building, sending a rain of bricks and glass onto the street.

The darkness turned into a grey rather than a brown, and she quickly realised that the storm clouds had thickened and had gotten closer to the ground, pushing past all the dust and the fog. The wind had slightly lessened, the lightning seemed even stronger than before.

The _Gladers_ seemed to have shrunk in numbers, but she could spot Thomas and Minho together, along with Frypan – carrying Emil on his back – and Aris. All of them looked as terrified as she saw as they ran, all eyes on the building, which was only just a short distance away.

A _Glader_ fell down to her right – but she couldn't tell who it was and she didn't hear the scream she knew he would have made. Another boy fell on her left, but he got back up. A blast of lightning ahead, then to the left. Another to the right. One straight ahead.

She blinked as hard as she could until her sight came back, Newt pulling her even stronger as they finally reached the first building in the city.

In the darkness of the storm, the structure was completely grey, massive blocks of stone, an arch of smaller bricks and half-broken windows.

Aris was the first to reach the door, but he didn't bother trying to open it. It had been made of glass, and that was mostly smashed anyway. He carefully smashed out the remaining shards with his elbow, waving the _Gladers_ past before he went in, swallowed by the darkness.

Newt looked back at her one more time before he slowly let go of her hand, running over to where Minho and Thomas were with another boy. Newt and the other boy grabbed hold of Minho and took him from Thomas, dragging him inside the building and over the entrance.

And then, she quickly followed everyone into the dark room, the lightning and thunder behind her as the rain started to pour from outside. It fell down like bullets, making the _Scorch_ seem less like a desert and more like a spot of global warming.

She collapsed down onto the ground, staying in that exact spot for the next two hours as she simply watched the rain, not knowing if she would be able to handle looking over at Minho. She huddled against a corner of the wall, exhaustion taking over her body as tears fell from her eyes. Everything finally fell down onto her and the grief, disgust and anger poured out of her.

Her hearing slowly started to come back, the ringing vanishing. As she cried, she could hear her sobs instead of just feeling a vibration, which made her feel a little better.

The dull grey light coming from the remaining windows did little to fight off the sudden cold darkness inside of the building.

The other _Gladers_ sat hunched or lying on their sides around the room, pretty much doing the same as her. Letting everything sink in. Minho was curled into a ball at Thomas' feet, barely moving.

Newt sat down next to her, neither of the two saying a word as they huddled closer to each other, trying to get some warmth and comfort after the traumatic experience. He held her close as she slowly started to calm down, wiping her tears away as the room remained silent.

Nobody tried to count the _Gladers_ to see who was missing and no one tried to organise anything. They all sat or lied as lifeless as Leo, everyone probably thinking the same thing.

What kind of shucked up place could make a storm like that?

The soft patter of rain started growing louder and Leo had no doubt in her mind that her hearing had come back. As the exhaustion took complete control of her body, the sound of rain almost soothing, she closed her eyes and started to fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

Day Four – Part One – The Scorch Trials

When she woke back up, her body felt like glue had dried inside her veins and muscles, making her feel so stiff that she couldn't move. She heard the heavy breathing of other sleeping _Gladers_ and the whimpering moans from Minho as the rain slammed onto the pavement outside.

She noticed that Newt was still awake, still in the same spot as he had been before she fell asleep. She moved even closer to him as she rested her head on his lap, trying to get back to sleep. He looked down and gave her a smile, one she knew wasn't genuine and was only put on to make her feel better. But it didn't help.

She couldn't get back to sleep. Hunger and the rise of the sun as it shined through the windows. The storm was over. She had slept through the entire night and the hunger continued to gnaw away at her.

She put her hands on her stomach as sharp pains stabbed her, groaning as they ached for food. But she knew there wouldn't be any of that for a while. She looked back at Newt who was holding onto one of her hands, starling sadly at a black spot in the room.

"You okay, there?" Thomas asked, making her jump. She didn't know there was anyone else awake, and the sudden break of silence made her heart race.

Newt slowly turned his head towards Thomas; his eyes distant until he finally snapped out of his thoughts. "Okay? Yeah, I guess I'm okay. We're alive—guess that's all that bloody matters anymore."

"Sometimes I wonder," Thomas murmured.

"Wonder what?"

"If being alive matters. If being dead might be a lot easier."

"Thomas, now's not the time for that," Leo said, making Thomas stare. He didn't think that she was awake and listening to them.

"Please. I don't believe for one second you really think that."

His gaze lowered when he'd said that depressing line, but he quickly looked up at Leo and Newt's comments. Then he smiled. "You're right. Just trying to sound as miserable as you."

Newt gestured wearily over to Minho. "What bloody happened to him?"

"Lightning strike somehow caught his clothes on fire. How it did that without frying his brain I have no idea. But we were able to beat it out before it did too much damage, I think."

"Before it did too much damage? I'd hate to see what you think real damage looks like."

"Jack," she muttered as she closed her eyes, trying not to imagine what she had just gone. Newt looked down at her with saddened eyes, before he looked back over to Thomas.

"Hey, like you said—he's alive, right? And he still has clothes on, which means it couldn't have burned his skin in too many places. He'll be fine."

"Yeah, good that," Newt replied with a sarcastic chuckle. "Remind me not to hire you as my bugging doctor anytime soon."

Leo lifted her head as she went back to leaning against the wall.

"Ohhhh." This came from Minho, a long, drawn-out groan. His eyes slowly fluttered open, then squinted as he caught their gaze. "Oh, man. I'm _shucked_. I'm _shucked_ for good."

"How bad is it?" Newt asked him.

Instead of answering, Minho very slowly pushed himself up to sit, grunting and wincing at every small movement. But he finally did, he legs crossed beneath him. His clothes were blackened and ragged. In some places where the skin had been exposed, raw red blisters peeked out. Most of Minho's face had been spared, and he still had his hair, which he would have been very happy about.

God how he loved his hair.

"Can't be too bad if you can do that," Thomas said with a sly smile.

" _Shuck_ it," Minho responded. "I'm tougher than nails. I could still kick your pony-loving butt with twice this pain."

Thomas shrugged. "I do love ponies. Wish I could eat one right now." His stomach grumbled and gurgled.

"Was that a joke?" Minho said. "Did Thomas the boring slinthead actually make a joke?"

"I think he did" was Newt's response.

"That's a shocker," Leo said.

"I'ma funny guy," Thomas said with a shrug.

"Yeah, you are." But Minho quickly lost interest in small talk. He twisted his head to look around at the rest of the _Gladers_. Most of them were still asleep or lying still with blank looks. "How many?"

As she took a mental count of the _Gladers_ , the total had now been twelve. Twelve. After all they had been through, they were left with only twelve. And that included Aris.

Forty or fifty in the Glade, which she had to keep reminding herself was only a few months ago. Twenty-two escaped. Now they only had twelve.

Twelve.

"There's only twelve of us," Newt finally said. There. It was out.

"So, what, six died in the storm? Seven?" Minho didn't sound too concerned, as if he was just counting how many fruits they had lost from a backpack.

"Seven," Newt snapped, showing his disapproval of the cavalier attitude. Then, in a softer tone, "Seven. Unless people ran to a different building."

"Dude," Minho said. "How're we gonna fight our way through this city with only eleven people? There could be hundreds of _Cranks_ in this place for all we know. Thousands. And we don't have a clue what to expect from them!"

Newt let out a big breath. "And that's all you can buggin' think about? What about the people who died, Minho? Jack's missing. So is Winston—he never had a chance. And"—he looked around—"I don't see Stan or Tim, either. What about them?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Minho held his hands up, palms facing Newt. " _Slim_ it nice and calm, brother. I didn't ask to be the _shuck_ leader. You wanna cry all day about what's happened, fine. But that's not what a leader does. A leader figures out where to go and what to do after that's done."

"Well, guess that's why you got the job, then," Newt said, but then a look of sorrow washed over his face. "Whatever. Seriously, sorry. I just …"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Minho rolled his eyes, though, and Leo hoped that Newt hadn't noticed as his gaze fell down to the floor again. And then Aris moved closer, deciding to join in the conversation.

"Ever seen anything like that lightning storm?" Aris asked.

Thomas shook his head. "Didn't seem natural. Even in my _klunky_ memories, I'm pretty sure stuff like that doesn't happen normally."

"But remember what the _Rat Man_ said and that lady told you on the bus and Leo about _London_ ," Minho said. "Sun flares, and the whole world burning like hell itself. That'd screw up the climate plenty enough to make crazy storms like that pop up. I have a feeling we're lucky it wasn't worse."

"Not sure lucky's the first word I'd think of," Aris said.

"Yeah, well."

Newt pointed over at the broken glass of the door, where the glow of sunshine brightened into the same bright, white light that they had grown accustomed in their days out in the _Scorch_.

"Least it's over. We better start thinking about what we're gonna do next."

"See," Minho said. "You're just as heartless as me. And you're right."

"Yeah, we better figure things out before we have a bunch of those crazies show up. But I'm telling you, we gotta eat first. We gotta find food."

"Food?"

Leo audibly gasped, the voice coming from above them. Everyone looked up and saw a face staring down at them from the shredded remains of the third floor.

It was a young Hispanic man, his eyes slightly wild.

"Who're you?" Minho shouted.

The man jumped through the hole in the ceiling, fall down towards them. At the last second, he rolled into a ball three times, then sprang back up to his feet.

"My name is Jorge," he said with his arms stretched out, almost as if he was expecting applause. "And I'm the _Crank_ who rules this place."

Everyone remained silent, none of them thinking that this guy could have been real. He just come out so unexpected and then jumped down from the third floor, and was also a _Crank_? Yeah, could the _Scorch_ get any worse?

"You people forget how to talk?" Jorge asked, a smile on his face that looked completely out of place in the shattered building. "Or you just scared of the _Cranks_? Scared we'll pull you to the ground and eat your eyeballs out? Mmm, tasty. I love a good eyeball when the grub's runnin' short. Tastes like undercooked eggs."

Minho took it on himself "as leader" to ask questions, hiding his pain rather well. "You admit you're a _Crank_? That you're freaking crazy?"

"He just said he likes the taste of eyeballs." This was from Frypan. "I think that qualifies as crazy."

Jorge laughed, and there was a definite tone of menace in it. "Come, come, my new friends. I'd only eat your eyes if you were already dead. Course, I might help you get that way if I needed to. Understand what I'm saying?"

No one spoke for a long moment.

"How many of you are here?" Newt asked.

Jorge's gaze quickly snapped over to where Newt and Leo were sitting. "How many? How many _Cranks_? We're all _Cranks_ around here, _hermano_."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Newt replied flatly.

Jorge started pacing around the room, stepping over and around the _Gladers_. "Lot of things you people need to understand about how things work in this city. About the _Cranks_ and WICKED, about the government, about why they left us here to rot in our disease, kill each other, go completely and utterly insane. About how there's different levels of the _Flare_. About how it's too late for you—the ill is gonna catch ya if you don't already have it."

The _Flare_. She knew the thought of catching that disease she had seen in her dreams would never stop terrifying her, and with this _Crank_ standing right in front of them, she was even more scared than she had ever been in her dreams. And she was helpless to do anything about it.

Jorge stopped near them, his feet almost touching Minho.

"But that's not the way it's gonna work, comprende? Those who are at a disadvantage are those who speak first. I want to know everything about you. Where you came from, why you're here, what in God's name your purpose could be. Now."

Minho let out a low, dangerous-sounding chuckle. "We're the ones at a disadvantage?" Minho swivelled his head around mockingly. "Unless that lightning storm fried my retinas, I'd say there are eleven of us and one of you. Maybe you should start talking."

Jorge looked at Minho for a long time, his face blank. "You didn't just say that to me, did you? Please tell me you didn't just speak to me like a dog. You have ten seconds to apologize."

Minho looked over at Thomas with a smirk.

"One," Jorge said. "Two. Three. Four."

Leo tried to shoot a look of warning to Minho, telling him to do it.

"Five. Six."

"Do it," Thomas said.

"Seven. Eight."

Jorge's voice rose with each number. She thought she caught a glimpse of movement from somewhere on the third floor, a blur of a shadow, but she hoped she was just imagining it.

"Nine."

"I'm sorry," Minho blurted out, with little feeling.

"I don't think you meant that," Jorge said. Then he kicked Minho in the leg. "Say it with meaning, _hermano_."

Leo looked over at the _Crank_ , and then to Minho, noticing how much in pain he was from the kick to his burn. Jorge pulled his legs back and kicked Minho again, twice as hard in the exact same spot. "Say it with meaning!" He screamed the last word out like a crazy man, but she guessed he was if he was a _Crank_.

Minho wailed as he grabbed hold of the wound with both hands. "I'm … sorry," he said between his heavy breaths, his voice strained from the pain. Jorge smiled and started to relax, right before Minho swung his arm out and slammed it into the _Crank_ 's shin. He leaped onto his other foot and then fell to the ground, a shriek that was from both surprise and pain.

Then Minho was on top of them, yelling a bunch of swear words that Leo had never heard come out of Minho's mouth. He squeezed his thighs to trap Jorge's body, and then started punching him.

"Minho!" Thomas shouted. "Stop!" He got up to his feet, getting ready to tackle Minho off of Jorge's body.

There was movement up on the third floor from several different places. There were people looking down at them, readying to jump down. Ropes appeared as they dangled over the sides of the jagged holes.

Thomas rammed into Minho, sending him sprawling off of Jorge's body as the two crashed onto the ground. He quickly spun Minho around, wrapping his arms around his chest and squeezing him to stop his struggles.

"There's more of them up there!" Thomas screamed in his ear from behind. "You have to stop! They'll kill you! They'll kill all of us!"

Jorge staggered to his feet, slowly wiping a thin trail of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Wait!" Thomas shouted. "Please, wait!"

A few more _Cranks_ dropped down to the ground from above, some of them doing the same jump-and-roll thing Jorge had done and others slid down the ropes. All of them quickly gathered in a pack behind their leader, maybe fifteen of them. Men and woman, some of them being a teenagers. All of them were dressed in tattered clothing, most of them skinny and frail-looking.

Minho had stopped fighting and Thomas slowly loosened his grip. He pressed one hand down on Minho's back, holding the other hand up towards Jorge.

"Please give me a minute," Thomas said, urging his heart and voice to calm down. "Won't do you people any good to … hurt us."

"Won't do us any good?" the Crank said; he spit a wad of red goo from his mouth. "It'll do me a lot of good. That, I can guarantee, _hermano_." He balled both hands into fists at his sides.

He cocked his head to the side, the _Cranks_ behind him pulling out all kinds of weapons hidden in their ragged clothes. Knives. Rusted machetes. Black spikes. Shards of glass with red tinged smudges.

And there was one girl, who couldn't have been older than Emil, held a splintered shovel.

"Listen," Thomas said, slowly getting to his feet, hoping Minho wouldn't be stupid enough to try anything. "There's something about us. We're not just random shanks who showed up on your doorstep. We're valuable. Alive, not dead."

The anger on _Jorge_ 's face lessened ever so slightly. "What's a _shank_?"

"Me and you. Ten minutes. Alone. That's all I ask. Bring all the weapons you need."

Jorge laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but I don't think I'll need any."

He paused, and the next few seconds felt like hours in all of the _Glader_ 's eyes.

"Ten minutes," the _Crank_ finally said. "Rest of you stay here, watch these punks. If I give the word, let the death games begin." He held a hand out, gesturing to a dark hallway that led from the room on the side across from the broken doors.

"Ten minutes," he repeated.

Thomas nodded. He walked towards the meeting place first to have possibly the last discussion of his life. As the rest of the _Gladers_ went silent, Minho gave an annoyed sigh as he rubbed his knuckles.

"Way to go, Minho," Leo commented as they waited for Thomas' return.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINE:**

Scorch: Separated By Exploding Buildings…

* * *

Day Four – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

As Thomas walked down the hallway with Jorge, the rest turned to each other, uncertainty plastered on their faces.

"So, what do we do now?" Leo asked, looking around the room to see all of those people still surrounding them with weapons.

"You wait," a woman said as she held a knife, taking a step closer to them. "Unless you want an arm cut off."

"Uh, no thanks, I'm alright with having both of my arms."

She noticed Newt rolling his eyes slightly, giving her a glance that told her to be careful about what she said. Then he pointed at Minho as an example.

"W-What's happening?" a shaking Emil asked from one of the corners of the room, noticing all the people surrounding them.

"Nothing good," Minho responded, making everyone glare at him. It wasn't like they weren't in any serious trouble because of him or anything.

"Where are you headed?" a male from the crowd asked, his eyebrows raised.

The _Gladers_ glanced at each other, not sure of what they should tell these people. Could they actually tell these _Cranks_ who were threatening their lives about WICKED and the Trials?

"Away from the _Scorch_ ," Leo replied, which wasn't technically a lie. They were aiming to get out of the _Scorch_ , but she just left out a few detours they'd have to take.

"No shit, Sherlock," the man replied, his eyes narrowing at her form as he raised his weapon higher.

"All right, everybody listen!" Jorge announced when they re-entered the large torn-up room. Everyone turned to them, noticing how nervous or worried Thomas seemed to look. "Me and the bird-face here have come to a resolution."

 _Bird-face? Well, that's an interesting nick-name._

The _Cranks_ in the room stood at attention, glaring at all of the _Gladers_ as they gripped onto their weapons tighter. Jorge came to a stop in the middle of the room, slowly turning to address the entire group.

"First, we need to get these people food. I know it seems crazy to share our hard-earned grub with a bunch of strangers, but I think we could use their help. Give 'em the pork and beans—I'm sick of that horse crap anyway."

One of the _Cranks_ in the crowd snickered.

"Second, being the grand gentleman and saint that I am, I've decided not to kill the punk who attacked me."

A few of the _Cranks_ groaned in disappointment. She wondered how badly their brains had been damaged by the _Flare_ at that point, and how much longer they had before they'd turn into those creatures. Past the _Gone_.

But there was one girl who seemed different from the rest of them. She was a pretty, older teenager with long hair that was somehow clean. She rolled her eyes at the groans, shaking her head.

Jorge pointed at Minho, who, of course, smiled and waved at the crowd.

 _Idiot…_

"Pretty happy, are you?" Jorge grunted. "That's good to know. Means you'll take the news well."

"What news?" Minho asked sharply.

"After we get you stragglers fed so you don't go dying of starvation on us, you get to have your punishment for attacking me."

"Oh yeah? And what's that gonna be?"

Jorge just stared back at Minho—a blank expression spread eerily across his face. "You punched me with both of your fists. So we're gonna cut a finger off each hand."

All of the _Glader_ 's breathes caught in their throat as they glanced over at Minho and then at Jorge. Jorge didn't look too bothered, almost calm in a sense that it could put you at ease, even with the _Cranks_ hollering in the background.

Minho however, wasn't to calm about it.

He stood up and was just about to charge at Jorge until the girl stepped right in front of him with a blade under his chin, drawing a drop of blood that trickled down his skin. He couldn't even make a sarcastic comment without that knife cutting straight through the skin.

"Here's the plan," Jorge said calmly. "Brenda and I will escort these moochers to the stash, let 'em eat up. Then we'll all meet on the Tower, let's say one hour from now." He looked at his watch. "Make that noon on the dot. We'll bring up lunch for the rest of you."

"Why just you and Brenda?" someone asked. "What if they jump you? There's twelve of them to two of you."

Jorge squinted, scoffing at the thought. "Thanks for the math lesson, Barkley. Next time I forget how many toes I have, I'll be sure and spend some counting time with you. For now, shut your flapping lips and lead everybody to the Tower. If these punks try anything, Brenda will slash Mr. Minho to tiny bits while I beat the living hell out of the rest of 'em. They can barely stand they're so weak. Now get!"

Relief poured through Leo as the _Cranks_ were separated from them. Surely this meant for them to run and escape and not that he was going to actually punish Minho by cutting his fingers off.

There was a man named Barkley who was quite old, but he looked tough with his veined muscles poking out from the sleeves of his shirt. In one hand, he held a dagger and in the other a big hammer.

"Fine," he said after a long stare down with his leader. "But if they do jump you and slit your throat, we'll get along just fine without ya."

"Thanks for the kind words, _hermano_. Now get, or we'll have double the fun on the Tower."

Barkley laughed, almost as if to save some of his dignity, right before he walked down the hallway that Thomas and Jorge had disappeared down not long ago. He waved his arm in a "follow me" gesture and soon every single _Crank_ shuffled after him expect Jorge and the girl with the long brown hair. Her knife remained at Minho's neck, threatening to stab him at any second.

Once the main group of _Cranks_ left the room, Jorge gave an almost relieved look, then subtly shaking his head. Brenda dropped the knife from Minho's neck and took a step back, wiping the small trace of blood off on her pants.

"I really would've killed you, ya know," she said in a slightly scratchy voice. Almost husky. "Charge Jorge again and I'll sever an artery."

Minho wiped at the small wound with his thumb, looking down at the red smudge it had caused. "That's one sharp knife. Makes me like you more."

Newt and Frypan groaned in unison as Leo shook her head, rolling her eyes.

"Really, Minho?" Leo asked, folding her arms.

"Looks like I'm not the only _Crank_ standing here," Brenda responded. "You're even more gone than me."

"None of us are crazy yet," Jorge added, walking over to stand next to her. "But it won't be long. Come on. We need to get over to the stash and put some food in you people. You all look like a bunch of starved zombies."

Minho didn't seem to like the idea. "You think I'm just gonna waltz over to have a sit-down with you psychos, then let you cut my freaking fingers off?"

"Just shut up for once," Thomas snapped, trying to communicate something different with his eyes. "Let's go eat. I don't care what happens to your beautiful hands after that."

Minho squinted in confusion, but seemed to pick up that something was off. "Whatever. Let's go."

Brenda suddenly stepped in front of Thomas, her face only a few inches away from his. "You the leader?"

Thomas shook his head. "No—it's the guy you just nipped with your knife."

Brenda glanced over at Minho, and then back at Thomas with a grin. "Well, then that's stupid. I know I'm on the verge of crazy, but I would've picked you. You seem like the leader type."

"Um, thanks. I, uh, would've picked you, too, instead of Jorge over there."

She leaned forward, closing the gap as she kissed him on the cheek, starling some of the remaining _Gladers_ in the room.

 _Boy, she moves fast…Guess being a Crank will do that to you._

"You're sweet. I really hope we don't end up killing you, at least."

"All right." Jorge was already motioning everyone toward the broken doors that led outside. "Enough of this lovefest. Brenda, we have a lot to talk about once we get to the stash. Come on, let's go."

She couldn't take her eyes off of Thomas. "I like you," she said.

"Like we couldn't tell," Leo muttered under her breath.

"Cause the kiss didn't give it away," Newt whispered to her, which almost made her laugh. But she knew if she did, she probably would have been treading on thin ice.

Thomas swallowed as Brenda's tongue touched the corner of her mouth as she grinned, turning away from him and walking to the door. "Let's go!" she yelled without looking back.

Every _Glader_ was staring at Thomas, all wondering the same thoughts. Thomas refused to make eye contact as he hitched up his shirt and walked forward, a slight smile on his face.

"And, we've lost him," Leo whispered before she started following behind.

"It's the third girl he's seen," Minho responded. "I understand why."

"You wouldn't mind even if she threatened to kill you," she said and he nodded.

"I like a challenge."

"You're ridiculous," Newt said which made Minho shrug as they continued down the hallway, exiting the building and emerging into the boiling hot heat of the white sun. Brenda led the group while Jorge took the back.

Leo squinted her eyes as she tried to adjust to the sudden brightness as they walked closer to the wall with a small amount of shade. There were other buildings and streets, but they all seemed to glow as if they were made by magic. It was beautiful in a strange and blinding way.

Brenda moved along the walls of the building until they reached what everyone assumed to the back entrance. There were a set of steps that disappeared into the pavement, like an entrance to the underground train.

She didn't hesitate as she bounced down the stairs, the knife that had been previously placed in her pocket now back in her hands as she gripped it tightly. They quickly followed her, all eager to escape the glaring sun and to get some food into their stomachs.

Leo groaned in pain as she held onto her stomach, the thought of food sending her mind into a frenzy as she continued to walk. It reminded her of the three days they had spent without food, all sitting in the dorms and common room, slowly fading away.

Darkness swallowed them, the pitch black welcoming and cool. She followed the sound of footsteps in front of her until they had reached a small doorway which shone a bright glow of orange. Brenda went inside, and Thomas hesitated before he stepped inside.

Newt gave her a hand a single squeeze before she sighed and took a step inside, not knowing if this was going to end in a trap or not. Instead, it was a small, damp room filled with boxes and cans. A single lightbulb hang from the ceiling, lighting up the room with its small light. It looked way too small for all of them to fit, even with their shortened numbers.

"You and the others can stay out there in the hallway, find a wall and sit. I'll start bringing out some tasty delights for you in a sec."

The crowd quickly headed back out into the hallway, going back into the darkness of the hallway. She sat down next to the wall beside the rest of the _Gladers_ , Newt being to her right and Minho on her left. Thomas remained further away from the rest, and she wondered why he was being so distant from the only people he knew.

She shook her head as she played with her hands, awaiting for the taste of any kind of food to enter her mouth. Even though what they had been given were canned beans and a type of sausage with the label written in Spanish. It was served cold, but it still tasted like one of the best meals she had ever had. She watched as some of the other _Gladers_ devoured the food, no matter how much Newt protested and told them to take it slow.

She took a few bites at a time, though her stomach screamed in protest as her mind wanted her to devour the entire thing in one bite. However, she knew that it would end up being wasted if she threw it up.

After Brenda had passed out all of the food, she took a second to glance at Leo, wondering why she seemed different from the others. "What's up with you?" she asked.

Leo raised her head from her food, not sure what she meant.

"What do you mean?" she asked with a mouth full of food, but Brenda didn't seem disgusted with her. She was probably used to it by now.

Brenda studied her a little longer, her mind racing with questions she knew she couldn't ask. She hesitated before she sighed. "Never mind, it's nothing." She then walked over to sit beside Thomas.

"What was that about?" Minho asked as he watched the girl leave. "And why is she hanging around Thomas so much?"

"I didn't know you were that desperate for attention from a girl," Leo said.

"I can't help it. It's male instinct. No, but seriously, what was that about?"

She shook her head as she glanced down at her food. "I have no idea."

Brenda set down a couple of backpacks filled with cans by her side. "One of these is for you," she said to Thomas.

"Thanks."

The three listened into their conversation as they continued eating their food, wanting to know if they could really trust Brenda or not. I mean, they had just appeared out of nowhere with weapons, threatening to kill them. And for that matter, could they really trust anyone other than themselves anymore?

"Taste good?" she asked as she dug into her own food.

"Please. I'd push my own mom down the stairs to eat this stuff. If I still have a mom."

"You get sick of it fast," Brenda said, pulling Thomas out of his head.

"We only have about four or five options." Thomas concentrated on clearing his mind, bringing his thoughts back to the present.

"Where'd you get the food? And how much is left?"

"Before this area got scorched by the flares, this city had several food manufacturing plants, plus a lot of warehouses to hold the food. Sometimes I think that's why WICKED sends _Cranks_ here. They can at least tell themselves that we won't starve while we slowly go crazy and kill each other."

"If there's plenty, why do you only have a few options?"

"We've only scoured the closest ones. Some company that specialized, not much variety. I'd kill your mother for something fresh out of a garden. A nice salad."

"Guess my mom doesn't have much of a chance if she's ever standing between us and a grocery store."

"Guess not."

Leo put her food to the side as she ran her hand through her wig, wondering if WICKED was watching them right now with secret cameras somewhere. She glanced around the darkened room, but she could only make out the figures of the _Gladers_ close to her. If there were any, there was no chance she would know.

But she always could be paranoid.

And if WICKED could see them now, why wouldn't they be doing anything about the large group of _Cranks_. Could this encounter be part of their plan? But how could they plan that far in advance that the _Gladers_ would happen to run to this building from the storm? Then again, how could they predict that there would be a storm at this location?

It all seemed impossible, but WICKED made those dead bodies disappear and made them believe an artificial sky was real, so she guessed anything was possible.

"Does the world still have grocery stores?" he asked. "I mean, what's it like out there after all this Flare business? Really hot, with a bunch of crazy people running around?"

"No. Well, I don't know. The sun flares killed a lot of people before they could escape to the north or south. My family lived in northern Canada. My parents were some of the first ones to make it to the camps set up by the coalition between governments. The people who ended up forming WICKED later."

"Wait … wait a second," he said. "I need to hear all this. Can you start from the beginning?"

"Not much to tell—happened a long time ago. The sun flares were completely unexpected and unpredictable, and by the time the scientists tried to warn anyone, it was way too late. They wiped out half the planet, killed everything around the equatorial regions. Changed climates everywhere else. The survivors gathered, some governments combined. Wasn't too long before they discovered that a nasty virus had been unleashed from some disease-control place. Called it the _Flare_ right from the beginning."

"Man," Thomas muttered.

So the entire world really had been affected. Then that place in her dreams really was London and not that just her mind playing tricks on her. Those _Cranks_ , that street, those houses, they were all real.

She preferred it when she thought it was just a dream.

Why did WICKED have to play with her emotions so much?

"When did—"

She shushed him, holding a hand up. "Wait," she said. "Something's wrong. I think we have visitors."

Newt and Leo looked at each other, not having heard anything unusual. None of the other _Gladers_ reacted, so they mustn't have heard anything either. But Jorge had already moved past them and stood at Brenda's side, whispering something into her ear. Just as she moved to stand up, there was an explosion from down the hall where the stairs had been located.

Leo screamed at the horrid sound as the crumpling and cracking sound indicated the building falling apart. Cement breaking. Metal ripping. Clouds of dust heading towards them as it destroyed the light from the food room.

Leo pushed to her feet as she ran towards the stairs, the others following not too far behind to see the completely destroyed stairs.

"Shit!" Leo cursed as she looked at the destroyed rubble of their exit. "Shit-"

"Leo, calm the _shuck_ down," Minho growled as he tried to look around for some kind of exit. "There! Down here!" he shouted as he ran down a hallway which she hadn't even noticed before. She quickly started running after him as did the others.

" _Run!"_ Brenda screamed from back where they had been before.

" _No! We have to follow my fr—"_

Thomas was cut off before he finished his sentence as an entire section of the roof come crashing down onto the floor behind them, blocks of cement falling down on top of each other. She screamed as they caved in behind her and the _Gladers_ , the fracturing rock separating them and Jorge from Brenda and Thomas.

"Quickly! Follow me!" Jorge shouted as he took the lead, continuing to head down the dark tunnel as the building continued to fall apart.

"Hurry!" Minho shouted as he took off into a run, following closely behind Jorge.

"What about Thomas?" one of the _Gladers_ shouted.

"No time, we've got to go," Newt said as he grabbed hold of Leo's hand and ran, more of the roof crumbling down around them as they sprinted down into the darkness, hoping they would make it to the other side.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TEN:**

Scorch: Travelling Around with Jorge…

* * *

Day Four – Part Three – The Scorch Trials

She bent down on her knees as she started to cough, the dust from the fallen building entering her lungs and sucking the moisture out of her body. She noticed others doing the same as they tried to get rid of all the dust from their bodies, while others tried to regain their breath.

She glanced up and noticed the blocked entrance as they now stood outside of the fallen remains, some of the plaster from the walls collapsed onto each other from the explosion. If there had been any windows filled with glass, they would have shattered from the blast. And now they were stuck outside of the only "safe" place they had encountered on their journey and were back out in the Scorch.

"Well, that was _shucking_ unexpected," Minho sighed as he looked around the street, wiping the sweat from his brow from the sudden heat off the sun.

Leo fanned herself off as she stood back up, the sudden change in temperature making her whole body burn as she felt lightheaded. The sun burned her eyes as she covered them. Each _Glader_ were doing similar things as they tried to readjust to the _Scorch_. It was just like when they had exited the tunnel.

"We have to get moving," Jorge announced, making the _Gladers_ turn to notice that the _Crank_ had his hands on his hips as he stared at the horizon. Whether he was checking the distance or whether they were any _Cranks_ around that were past the _Gone_ , she would never be certain.

"What about Thomas?" Frypan asked as he chucked his thumb back to the broken building.

"What about _bird-face_?" he asked in return with a raised eyebrow as he held his hand over his eyes to block the sunlight.

"We've got to find him, he might not have made it out alive."

"Be more realistic _shanks_ ," Leo said as she folded her arms, walking over to Jorge until she stood only a few steps away. "He couldn't give two shits about Thomas right now. What about Brenda?"

The _Crank_ went silent as he took the time to think over a plan. He was now stuck with six young teenagers who had no idea of the world that lied ahead of them, and it just so happened that Brenda – his partner in crime as he put it – was now missing and had disappeared with one of their friends. And they would be missing for a while. He looked down at her, giving her a smirk in amusement.

" _Pretty-boy_ speaks the truth," he commented before the smirk disappeared, his face becoming serious as he faced the other _Gladers_. "We'll meet them along the way to the _Safe Haven_."

"How long will that be?" Newt asked as he looked over at the road ahead of them. "How can you be so sure where it even is?"

"Yeah, even we don't know where it is," Minho responded.

"Trust me _hermano_ , we'll find it if we keep going north."

"You have a plan?" Leo asked once he walked past her, starting to venture through the street, passing most of the tall buildings that happened to be filled with broken glass.

"Of course I have a plan. Just follow me, and keep as quiet as you can. _Cranks_ are everywhere where we're going."

She could hear the eerie silence that followed that sentence as he continued walking, leaving her and the rest of the _Gladers_ standing there.

"Should we follow?" one of the _Gladers_ asked.

Everyone turned towards their "leader" Minho, who shrugged in response. "We've got no other choice. He knows this place better than all of us combined. Our best bet is to stick with this guy."

He then walked quickly until he reached right behind Jorge, the rest of the _Gladers_ giving each other nervous glances before they followed close behind.

The eleven walked down the street of the _Scorch_ , checking every so often for any _Cranks_ that were past the _Gone_. Jorge had warned that there wouldn't be many out yet so soon after a storm, but there would be inside the buildings were they were soon going to be heading.

He seemed to know the _Scorch_ like the back of his hand, which made Leo wonder how long he'd had to live in this environment. He was obviously either in his late twenties or early thirties, and she gathered that each of the _Gladers_ hadn't lived long before the disease broke out.

Jorge would have to have been here for at least over ten years if all the information that WICKED had given them had been correct.

Leo kept glancing up at the sky every so often, wondering if it was going to suddenly change back to the horrid grey and dark sky right before the storm. But, for the hour they spent walking outside, it remained the bright, orange sky as the blinding, yellow sun shined down on them.

As all of the _Gladers_ had lost their white sheets when the storm started, now they all could feel the true heat of the sun. As Leo wiped the sweat from her forehead as she continued to walk, she felt like her arms were burning as they were a little red. That's what she got for having such pale skin and living under an artificial sun for as long as she remembered.

Her wig became irritating as the sweat started to drip through the wig, making it terrible itchy. It was like a constant mosquito bite, expect the itch didn't go away if you didn't think about it.

Newt walked beside her as all the _Gladers_ remained silent like Jorge had advised them. They were all a little unnerved of the current situation, and the fact that Thomas was now missing and stuck in the _Scorch_ with only Brenda by his side. But she knew that she would probably be more beneficial for him than any of the _Gladers_ could be. Especially with fighting the _Cranks_.

"Stop," Jorge suddenly commanded, holding his hand up as he kept his eyes to the front. Quickly, the _Gladers_ stopped in their tracks, nervously glancing around for any _Cranks_. But there weren't any. At least not yet.

"What? What's happening?" Minho whispered, but Jorge shook his head.

"Through here. It's safer. We can just sneak past the _Cranks_ in the darkness as long as we remain silent. Got it?" Jorge ordered.

"How many would be in there?" Leo questioned.

Jorge shrugged as he looked at the building. "Five at the most. But we've got a long way to go. Just follow my lead."

Jorge ducked under the fallen wood that was slumped in front of the opening, entering the darkness as he waved his hand for them to follow through. Minho was the first one to enter the building, taking a deep breath before he did. Newt and Leo were the next two, and Leo had to hold her hand over her mouth so she wouldn't cough from the dust. Newt noticed and patted her on the back as he guided her through the darkness. The only light at the moment was coming from the doorway and it didn't ease her rising heartrate.

She noticed a sudden bright light being shined through the darkness, and only then realised that it came from a torch that Jorge was holding. He slowly walked through the building, which made her believe that there were _Cranks_ inside this building. Once all the _Gladers_ had entered the dusty and old building, Jorge picked up his pace a bit.

She could hear the moaning and screaming sounds coming from the other side of the building, making her body tremble. She and Newt laced their hands together, without even thinking about it once they heard the screaming. It was so blood-curdling and horrific that it made her skin crawl. She knew that with having to be silent, being in the darkness and having _Cranks_ in the _Gone_ surrounding them was enough to send her into a panic attack.

However, with Newt beside her and holding her hand, she was never able to reach that point. He seemed to be able to calm her down without even trying, with just being himself.

They slowly walked through the room of the building, the only light being the hidden torch light from Jorge. He stopped suddenly as he hid behind a couch, turning the torch off so it returned back to darkness. The _Gladers_ quickly hid themselves behind other furniture in the room, huddling together to make sure they wouldn't been seen or found by the _Cranks_.

Newt held Leo close to his body as he tried to calm her down, knowing how she would be starting to panic at that moment. Minutes had passed before the room became silent, the _Cranks_ screaming stopping suddenly. Jorge slowly turned his torch back on as he shined it across the room, noticing that the _Cranks_ had disappeared and now were outside of the building.

"Told you," Jorge whispered in the darkness as he stood back up, slowly heading across to the staircase that had some steps missing from it. He shined the torch on the steps as he stepped up them, taking his time as he jumped over the missing planks of wood or ones that had holes in them.

Once he'd reached the top, he chucked the torch down to Minho who was the next person in line. Minho turned to the other _Gladers_ for a second before he slowly headed over to the stairs, heading up them with the same process. Minho then chucked it to Newt and Leo, who quickly made their way up the stairs as her heart rate started to go back to normal.

They repeated this process for every _Glader_ until all of them had reached the top of the staircase, each of them looking down the stairway to make sure the Cranks wouldn't be coming back in and following them up.

"Through here is some of our secret stash we kept from the other _Cranks_ ," Jorge said as he shined the light through the room, heading over to a cabinet in the corner of the room. He opened it, some of the dust flying into the air and making Minho cough. Jorge handed the torch over to Newt as he shined the light on the shelves, showing the amount of different canned foods. The sight of food, even though it was inside cans, was a glorious sight.

Jorge grabbed hold of all of the cans of food, grabbing hold of some of the _Gladers_ and shoving the food inside their backpacks. Jorge grabbed Leo by her bag strap and put in a can of beans, a can of corn and a can filled with spaghetti.

"Where did you get all this stuff?" Leo asked as she watched him zip up her backpack as the others stared at the cans they had been given in wonder.

"Scavenged them at the start of the _Flare_. Didn't know how long we'd survive out here," he said as he shut the cupboard, heading back down the stairs and outside the doors. He cursed at the change in lighting as he covered his eyes as he walked down the street, the _Gladers_ quickly following behind. Leo stumbled when the bright light hit her as she felt a little lightheaded from the constant change in lighting.

"What now?" Minho asked as they continued down the street.

"We've got to find shelter. There should be a building around here, hopefully not infested with _Cranks_. We'll rest for half an hour and then go back to searching for more food."

"W-What happens if we run into a _Crank_?" Emil squeaked out from behind Frypan, making Leo jump at his sudden voice. He had barely said anything for the past few days that she had almost forgotten that he was there.

"We figure that out once we get there," Jorge replied as he walked down the street, looking for an undestroyed building they could take refuge in for some rest. Most of the buildings surrounding them were either destroyed or the sound of many _Cranks_ sounded from them. Jorge cursed as he looked around the entire area, noticing the increasing amount of _Cranks_ pouring out onto the streets.

"Plan B. We're going underneath."

" _Underneath_? Like the ground?" Leo asked, which made Jorge shrug.

Jorge burst into one of the buildings as he quickly rushed through, pulling out one of the loose, wooden floorboards. There were _Cranks_ that were starting to notice the large group of people and were becoming more curious.

Luckily, Jorge had revealed the _Underneath_ in time before the _Cranks_ came over to them as he jumped down into the dark tunnel. The rest of the _Gladers_ followed, glad to leave the now _Crank_ infested streets and buildings.

The _Underneath_ was a damp and miserable looking place. The walls and the floor were a dull grey, streaks of water tricking down the sides every now and again. Jorge waved for them to follow as he walked through the tunnel, passing a door every few meters, but Jorge never tried to open them. Leo assumed because of that that he had tried opening those before and knew they were locked.

It was eerily quiet as they walked through the tunnel, the only sound being their footsteps on the ground as they walked through. It had been about thirty minutes as they continued walking through the tunnels.

"Be careful," Jorge whispered to the _Gladers_. " _Cranks_ can be down here."

The message was passed down through the line as they continued to walk. A scream filled the tunnel, but it seemed to be miles behind them, so Jorge told them not to worry. If they continued at the pace they were going, the _Crank_ wouldn't be able to catch up, especially if it got distracted by someone else. The _Crank_ continued to scream as the sound echoed through the tunnel, making the hair on Leo's neck stand up on edge.

Finally, they reached a change in the tunnel. The tunnel leaped off into three routes: one to the right, one to the left, and the one forward. Jorge peered around the corner of each new section, evaluating the safer path for the _Gladers_.

There was the sound of at least two _Cranks_ screaming from the left path, so the decision was left between the left or straight ahead.

"Left leads to a house on the other side of town," Jorge said to himself. "Straight ahead leads to more tunnels…" He took another moment to think before he walked down the left path, much rather taking the risk of their being a _Crank_ in the house rather than being stuck walking in the tunnels.

The _Gladers_ followed close behind until Jorge stopped in his tracks as he looked up at the ceiling. He tapped on the wooden boards on the ceiling, testing to see which one was loose. Finally, it found it. The third board to the left loosened as he pushed it up, detaching it from the ground as it fell to the side.

He pushed the two beside it so they had enough room to escape. He lifted himself up into the building, checking it first to make sure there were no _Cranks_. "Whoever's the bravest can come and check with me," he said as he sat on the wooden boards.

The _Gladers_ all looked at each other, before Leo felt a nudge on her back as she was pushed forward. She turned around and saw the small boy, Emil, with his hand out, a weird expression on his face.

" _Pretty-boy_ , you've been volunteered," he announced as he held his hand out for her. Leo took a deep breath as she calmed herself down before she grabbed hold of his hand, Minho and Newt helping her up as they grabbed her feet. The four pulled her up to the top as she lied down on the wooden floor of the room.

"Wait down here till we're done," Jorge said as he placed the wooden planks back on top of the hole, in case a _Crank_ happened to attack them and end up going through the hole in the floor.

Even though it was daylight, the room was quite dark. Jorge pulled out his torch as he turned it on, pulling out an extra torch from his pocket and chucking it towards her. She gripped it with her shaking hands as she flicked the switch, the extra light shining into the room.

"Check upstairs," Jorge whispered. "I'll check down here."

"Why do I have to check upstairs?" she whispered as she stared at the shabby looking stairs.

"You're a faster runner _muchacho,"_ was his reply before he moved over towards the couch.

Leo gulped as she shined the torch light over the stairs, noticing some of the planks of wood with holes in them or just completely missing. She took slow, deep breaths as she took a step on the first stair, slowly making her way up the staircase until she reached the top.

She felt her heart rate increasing as she shined the light around the room, her hands shaking as she walked over to the right of the room. She checked every cupboard, making sure nothing would pop out at her during her investigation. She noticed that some of the cupboards contained some more canned food, which she quickly shoved inside her backpack without a second thought.

She made her way over to the other side of the room, hearing a creaking noise on one of the floorboards. She stopped dead in her tracks at the sound, her body starting to shake as she felt her breaths becoming faster. Her thoughts went racing as she thought of all the things that could have made the noise.

She hoped it was just Jorge on the bottom floor.

She took very slow steps, shining the light over every object in the room. She held onto the couch as she looked down, shining the light on it as she gasped. She covered her mouth with her hand before she could let out a scream as she stumbled backwards. Not noticing the chair behind her, she tripped over it and fell down to the ground, the chair banging on the ground.

"Shit, shit, shit," she cursed under her breath as she tried to back away, knowing her legs were shaking too much for her to be able to stand.

The thing on the couch shot up, staring at her with widened eyes. Once it noticed her, it growled as it jumped off, leaping towards her as anger filled its eyes. It was a _Crank_. A _Crank_ past the _Gone_.

It screamed as it lunged for her, jumping on top of her as it tried to claw at her. She screamed out for help as she grabbed hold of the _Cranks_ ' clawed hands, trying to keep them away from her face. She noticed on each hand the _Crank_ was missing a finger, and their nose had been cut off.

"Give me my nose! Give it to me!" the _Crank_ screamed as it thrashed around, trying to claw off her nose off her face. She continued to scream as the torch rolled on the ground, leaving her to fight the creature in darkness. She felt a scratch on her cheek where the _Crank_ was trying to get her nose. It sunk its claws into her cheek as she screamed out in pain, tears forming in her eyes.

She heard footsteps running up the stairs, knowing it was Jorge running up to save her. He held something in his hands as he tackled the _Crank_ off of her, tumbling on the ground beside her. As he fought with the _Crank_ , he slid the object he was holding towards her, screaming at her to use it.

She looked down and saw what the object was.

It was a knife. A kitchen knife.

Not hesitating, she grabbed hold of the knife and lunged at the _Crank_ , screaming as she pierced the knife through his back, pushing it through till it came out of his chest. The _Crank_ gave one final scream before it fell down on top of Jorge, dead.

Jorge shoved the dead _Crank_ off of his body as he watched Leo's face as she held the bloodied knife. She wasn't horrified that she had just killed him, because she didn't consider him a human anymore. But the blood on the knife made her feel sick as she tried her best to keep the vomit from coming up.

Her hands were covered in blood, as was the knife, and some trickled down from her cheek and onto her neck, leaving a small trail on her clothes. She fell down to the ground as she sobbed, realising out all the stress and trauma she had just endured.

Jorge took some deep breaths before he stood himself up and headed down the stairs. She could hear him as he took the wooden planks off and told the other _Gladers_ to head up. She remained upstairs as she heard the others all coming up, their footsteps loud as they all walked around the room to investigate.

She could hear people talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying or who was saying them – but she didn't care. She just kept crying as she made her way over to the corner, liking being safe between the walls. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs, but it didn't stop her from continuing to cry. She didn't care if they saw her as a wimp anymore. It didn't seem to matter anymore.

She felt arms wrapping around her, and she instantly moved into them, knowing it was Newt. He noticed the dead _Crank_ in the room and easily realised what had happened. And though he heard the screaming, it was mostly only her he could hear as his blood boiled.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as he held onto her tightly, letting her cry into his chest as she let everything out. "I let you go up here…I'm sorry."

She shook her head as she tried to speak, but the words couldn't form as she choked on her sobs. She wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault. Emil had pushed her forward, making her go up here. She couldn't blame Newt for not being able to help. He had been forced to stay in the tunnel.

He rubbed her back to reassure her as he heard the other _Gladers_ settling down to eat some of the canned food and get ready for the night. He gave her a kiss on the forehead before he helped her stand up, wiping her tears as she finally started to calm down. He noticed the cut on her cheek and used his sleeve to wipe the blood off of her face.

Once she had fully calmed down, the two headed down the stairs to join the others, who had become quite comfortable. Some of them sat on the couch while others sat on the floor. Each of them enjoyed the break from the heat and sunlight as they enjoyed their canned food.

Leo pulled out the extra cans she had found on the upper floor and handed them out for people to share. Jorge stood over at the windows, watching to make sure no _Cranks_ noticed them inside the house. Luckily, there were no _Cranks_ out at that moment as they all seemed to be inside the _Underneath_.

Knowing they wouldn't have to use the tunnel anymore, Jorge had slammed the boards back into place so that no _Crank_ could climb up and attack them during the night.

As they rested and enjoyed their food, night started to fall over the _Scorch_ as they noticed the wind increased from outside. Some scraps fell through the air as they all relaxed into their spots to sleep.

"We leave at first light tomorrow. We'll eat beforehand and then we'll go our separate ways. We'll split up into groups or individuals and search around for any sign of Brenda and _bird-face_."

Those were Jorge's instructions for tomorrow, and Leo had no energy left to argue. She lied down on the floor as she closed her eyes, her stomach filled with delicious food as she fell into a deep sleep. Thankfully, she had no nightmares that night as she used Newt's arm as a pillow, and he didn't complain either as all of the _Gladers_ fell into one of the best sleeps they'd had in weeks.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER ELEVEN:**

Scorch: Taking Turns in Becoming Spies…

* * *

Day Five - Part One - The Scorch Trials

The _Gladers_ awoke the next morning to the sounds of the blood-curdling screams from the _Cranks_ outside the house, banging on the door and trying to smash the windows as they tried to enter.

Jorge gave a simple sigh as he stood up, stretching his body as he gave out a yawn. It had been the earliest he had had to wake up in some time, but the _Gladers_ seemed quite used to waking up so early. "Better get moving," he said as he stared out the window, seeing the sun starting to rise. It looked so beautiful, it was amazing to think that that sun was the start of all their problems. He calmly walked over towards the loosened floorboards, ready to start the day.

"You're awfully calm," Leo muttered as she stood up, rubbing her neck as she had left the pins inside her wig. Her neck was in pain and there were a few scratches from the metal digging into her skin during the night.

"At least he isn't constantly panicking about situations and making everyone around them worried as they start to break down into a ball of a crying mess. And then you have to add all the symptoms of shaking, nausea, headaches, increased heart rate, dizzy spells and shortness of breath. I'd much prefer someone who was calm instead of panicking all the time," Emil said as he rubbed his eyes, sending her a harsh glare. This had been the first time in a while that he had spoken, and everyone turned to see him, startled that he'd made a noise. Leo's eyes widened at the bitterness in his voice.

He had volunteered for her to go up into this house after all, and he seemed very aware of what could have happened to her. Her mind went racing from his simple comment. Could he be angry that she had survived? Was he sending her up there to kill or at least injure her? The thought sent shivers up her spine.

She hoped she was just being overly paranoid, but she couldn't help the doubt about him that ran through her mind.

"It's something that I have that I cannot control," she responded, trying to control her anger and her panic that was rising in her body.

"You're going to panic right now and nothing's happening! That's just pushing it."

"Emil, lay off will you," Newt said as he stood in front of her, staring down at Emil with one of the harshest glares he could give. "Not all of us are the bravest _shanks_ in the world."

Emil gave a dark chuckle, his eyes lacing with anger as he gave a smirk. "You know ten percent of teenagers get an anxiety disorder, which is a mental disorder. Mentally ill people have no place inside a place like this."

"Has that stupid disease got you too?" Minho asked from the couch.

"Seventy percent of mentally ill people like you get treatment and they get over it. But of course, you're not going to bother, are you? Because you like this. You like the attention it gives you. They worry, they give you sympathy. You were probably unloved as a child or something or your parents didn't want you. You're probably craving the attention you never got or deserved when you were younger."

"Emil, shut up!" Leo screamed as she was about to lunge at him, but Newt, Frypan and Edwin had to hold her back. But Emil didn't flinch.

"Watch the claws," Jorge interrupted as he shook his head, holding his hand out to stop them. He bent down to the floor as he inspected the floorboards, testing to see which one was the right one. "Those aren't uncommon 'round here."

"Y-you've seen them before?" Leo asked as she tried to calm herself down.

He gave a quick nod, sending her a sideways glance. "It's common to have anxiety about things. Especially when the worlds ending, _muchacho._ There's no treatment for those kind of things 'round here anymore. Nothing you can do about it now, unfortunately."

 _At least that gives a little bit of reassurance._

She tried not to give a smirk over in Emil's direction, especially since he was becoming more and more dangerous and suspicious every day. Jorge still remained calm as he kept testing for the loosened floorboards.

"What are we doing now?" Minho asked as he stood up from the couch, trying to change the subject. He looked over at the window as the screams of the _Cranks_ continued to sound. "Oh shut it you stupid _Cranks_ ," he grumbled as he walked over to where Jorge and Leo were.

"I said yesterday. We're going. We've to start moving again and find another spot. Those _Cranks_ wake up fast, more will be here when it reaches seven."

"Why seven?" Newt asked.

"Why not seven?" was his reply as he yanked on the floorboards.

Well that didn't seem strange at all. Most of the _Cranks_ woke up at around seven o'clock and came out to find food. Maybe it was how they had all adapted after going past the _Gone_. Maybe it was when the disease manipulated their minds and made them want them search for food.

He chucked the floorboards to the side as the entrance to the tunnel revealed, the bland and grey tunnel ruining their mood. There once again was the _Underneath,_ the tunnel that led through the entire town.

"Any other plans beside that?" Newt asked.

"I said yesterday. We split up and look for _bird-face_ and Brenda."

He seemed annoyed that he had to repeat himself, but he did it no less.

"But how-"

"Newt, just get in the _shucking_ tunnel," Minho said as he jumped inside the entrance and into the tunnel, the impact of his feet hitting the ground echoing in the tunnel. Jorge rolled his eyes as he looked over at the remaining _Gladers_.

"He's your leader?" he asked as he gave a raised eyebrow to Newt. "You elected him as leader? Smart choice there."

"Not exactly," Newt muttered as he folded his arms, which made Jorge crack a smile.

"Should've cut off his finger when I had the chance," Jorge said as he jumped through the hole and into the tunnel.

Newt sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, looking down at the ground. "I'm starting to regret letting him take the leader role," he said which made Leo smile.

"Hey, calm down," she said as she touched his shoulder. "We need to follow what Jorge says. He's the expert around here, he knows _shucking_ everything about the _Scorch_. And besides, Minho's cranky because Jorge has taken his spot."

"But splitting up? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Of course it is. But when have we not done something dangerous?"

The two watched as the other _Gladers_ soon joined the rest down in the _Underneath_ , leaving the two of them behind in the room. "Can we please go? Those _Cranks_ are getting close to coming inside."

Newt glanced over at the doors and windows, noticing the _Cranks_ becoming angrier and more blood thirsty as time passed. He gave her a worried look before he sighed and nodded his head. "I'm just worried that not all of us will make it."

"We will. But we won't if we don't follow Jorge."

She grabbed hold of his hand as she dragged him over to the hole, jumping down into the _Underneath_ with him close behind.

"Let's go straight. We'll make a turn towards the left, then go right. We'll find another house to rest in for breakfast."

"Then what?" Frypan asked as he looked around the grey tunnel.

"We separate. We'll meet back at six and come up with a plan."

"Do you think we'll find them? How large is this town?" Leo asked as they started to walk down the straight path. The _Cranks_ screams died down as they continued down the tunnel, but they could always hear sounds from behind them as they walked.

"Large enough. That's why we'll split up. We won't find them if we stick together. And _Cranks_ much prefer large groups to small ones. They'll run to those as there's more to attack. You must have been stupid to travel in a group that large in the _Scorch_."

"Like we knew that," Minho said as he begrudgingly let Jorge led the way.

"Shhh," Leo whispered to him as she elbowed him. "Do you want to lose a finger?"

"It'll make me look tougher," he replied, regaining his arrogant yet charming attitude that the _Gladers_ all knew and kind of loved.

"At least you're back to normal," Newt said as the three travelled behind Jorge, the rest of the _Gladers_ following behind them. She wasn't sure why, but she seemed to be looked at almost like a leader now even though she wasn't the best in life-threatening conditions. But maybe that's what made them admire her, because she wasn't a perfect leader like Minho or even Newt. She had ridiculous amounts of reasons why she shouldn't be a leader, but yet here she was almost in that position.

It made her feel much better about her increasing panic that rose in her body from time to time.

Soon they had reached the intersection. As stated, Jorge took them on the left path, then turned right at the next one. Soon they had arrived at another set of loose floorboards. "We'll stop for food here. Who wants to come with me to check this time?" Jorge asked as he tapped on the floorboards.

"Don't think about it _shanks_ ," Leo said as she gave them all a glare, especially towards Emil who had been silent since his bitter comments this morning.

Minho shrugged as he took a step forward. "I'll go. I'll knock those _Cranks_ out in five seconds."

"You wish, _bocaza._ " He pushed through the wooden floorboards and pulled himself up into the room.

"What does that _shucking_ mean?" Minho asked the _Gladers_ beside him, but they all shook their heads, none of them understanding Spanish.

"Probably something bad," Leo said with a shrug.

"Just go up there already," Newt said as Minho gave a nod.

"Wish me luck up there _shanks_." Jorge pulled him up as his feet landed on the house floor. As Jorge covered up the entrance, the two went and inspected the house to make sure there were no hidden _Cranks_ in the house like there had been last time. They waited in silence for the two to come back, and Leo checked her watch to make sure they weren't taking too long.

"Are they coming back for us?" Frypan asked as he looked at his watch, noticing that more than five minutes had gone by. The _Gladers_ were starting to become nervous, but luckily Jorge loosened the floorboards and revealed himself and a sweaty Minho.

"What happened out there?" Newt asked as they all entered the building through the hole, searching around the house as they inspected their new hideout for an hour or so.

"Crank in the kitchen. Scared the _shuck_ out of me," Minho said with his hands on his hips, the sweat dripping from his forehead.

"Did you finish him in five seconds?" Leo asked with a smirk.

"Shush."

The _Gladers_ sat down in the living room, taking the food out of their backpacks to eat. The meals consisted of cans of beans, vegetables and some fruits. But it was enough to get them ready for a day of constant travelling.

They rested for another hour before and soon it had become nine o'clock in the morning. The _Cranks_ had seemed to calm down during their stay in the house as they had stopped screaming, yet they were still outside.

"Here's the deal," Jorge started as he placed his spoon down. "We'll be splitting up into small groups. No more than three people. You can go alone, in twos, or threes."

"Who would want to go by themselves?" Newt asked, searching around the room for someone who was brave enough to go into the _Scorch_ by themselves. A hesitant hand raised itself, while the other rose into the air confidentially.

"You two? Why?" he asked.

"I-I want to be able to do something," Frypan said as he slowly lowered his hand. "I want to prove I'm worth my job as a _Keeper_. I haven't been responsible enough for this role, and I want to prove that I can be."

"Good enough," Leo said. "Be brave out there…And what brilliant reason do you have?"

"I don't think I need to provide a reason for my actions and decisions," Emil said, not bothering to look at her as he faced the other _Gladers_. "Especially to someone like you."

"You're attitude with me is pissing me off right now," Leo said, her arms folded over her chest as she glared. "I was your only friend in the _Glade_ , and now you've turned on me like Gally and just hate me for no reason."

"There's always a reason for hatred. It's the strongest emotion anyone is capable of feeling."

"This kid's whacked in the head," Jorge whispered to her, which made her nod. "I'll go with this one. He might need some experienced help, since he's a bit younger. And right now he's all talk and no bite."

"This is why I wanted to go alone! All of you are stupid for siding with Leo! You'll all end up dead if you trust him." He growled as he strode over to the door, opening it wide open as he slammed it behind him, the loud bang making her jump and her heart skip a beat.

"He's acting very strange," Minho said.

He was like this when Thomas arrived. He hated his guts for no reason. And now she guessed it was her turn for meaningless hatred.

"Damn _shank_ 's gonna get himself killed," Clint said as he shook his head. "Should someone go after him?"

"After an hour," Minho decided. "Let him calm himself first. Then you can go after him."

Clint nodded at the order, which made Minho smirk. Soon, they had all sorted into six groups.

The first group contained: Jorge and Aris.

The second group was: Newt, Minho and Leo.

The third group was: Edwin and Neils.

The fourth group was: Louis and Jackson.

The fifth group was: Frypan.

And they assumed the sixth group was: Clint and would hopefully be joined later by a less pissed off Emil.

Quickly, they all headed off into different directions, all of them hoping they'd make it back to their meeting point alive.

…

[Group Two: Newt, Minho and Leo]

Leo wouldn't lie and say she wasn't happy that Emil had left. Everything he was saying hit home with her, even about the lack of love as a child. And though she didn't remember anything about her parents or her childhood, the thought of her parents not loving her almost brought tears to her eyes.

"Sick _shucking shank_ ," Minho murmured as the three of them headed off, their backpacks strapped on their shoulders as they headed down through the _Underneath_. Jorge had assigned them this as he believed they were the most skilled out of all of them, and they could handle a _Crank_ if they encountered one.

"Something's wrong with him," Newt said as they headed down the silent tunnel. She found it scarier when she couldn't hear their screams.

"He never used to be like that…" Leo started. "It's like he's…controlled," she whispered the last word, thinking back to her experience under WICKED's control.

"Or he's just _shucking_ insane and that stupid disease is getting to him already. And there's no saving him," Minho said angrily as he led the way through the entrance.

"Whatever the bloody hell it is, I'm glad I'm nowhere near the bastard," Leo grumbled as she clenched her hands, trying her hardest not to punch something. The three went silent as they ventured down the tunnel, checking every pathway for any _Cranks_ they might come across.

"Which way?" Minho asked as he pointed at each of the different turns. Right. Left. Or Straight.

"Aren't you the bloody leader?" Newt asked as he tapped him on the shoulder.

"It's not fun having all the power. Some power's good though."

Then, they heard the sound of a _Cranks_ scream echoing from down the tunnel behind them. They could hear loud footsteps that kept getting louder as the footsteps got faster and closer to them.

"Shit!" Leo cursed as the three started running, a _Crank_ past the _Gone_ following behind them, screaming as it followed behind them carrying a bloodied knife.

…

[Group Three: Edwin and Neils]

"This is not a good idea," Edwin whispered as the two headed through the empty street, heading through the alleyways in between the houses.

"Of course it's not," Neils said, looking around for any sign of human life.

The two _Baggers_ took small and almost silent steps as they ventured through the somehow darkened alleyways, both terrified of what could be hidden there.

"Do we use the torch?" Edwin asked as he took his backpack off his shoulders, starting to unzip the top.

"What do you think? I'd rather spot a _Crank_ than be spotted by one in the dark."

"You don't have to be so angry about it."

Edwin pulled out the torch from the backpack, quickly zipping it back up as he slung it over his shoulders. He hesitantly pressed the button on the torch, light beaming as it lit up the alleyways.

He shined the torch slowly behind trashcans they passed, or in dark corners. The only things the two could find were stray cats that hissed when the bright light hit them, or dead _Cranks_ that had parts ripped out of them, possibly eaten by other _Cranks_.

"That's gonna make me sick," Neils said as he turned away, covering his mouth.

"You're a _Bagger_. You've seen dead bodies all the time," Edwin said as they walked back into the street, turning off the torch with a raised eyebrow.

"Not ones that have been eaten."

Edwin rolled his eyes, but he was glad for the company in the now silent _Scorch_. He couldn't help but wonder how the rest of the _Gladers_ were doing in their search for Thomas and Brenda. They were having no luck as they were stuck around the street they had come from.

They could hear the sound of screaming coming from the _Underneath_ as they stood beside a sewer drain, and they couldn't help but fear the worst for the three down there. They just hoped they would make it out alive to see the sunlight again. And if not, they would lose their strongest people.

…

[Group One: Jorge and Aris]

Aris felt uncomfortable being left alone with Jorge, simply because he still couldn't trust the man. He had threatened to kill them, yet the rest of the _Gladers_ had welcomed him in with open arms.

Well, he knew he wasn't that trusting.

They two walked down the street in silence, heading past the town and into a more civilised area. Jorge seemed to know his way around, even though it was a long way from his original hiding place. Aris couldn't help but think about his friends. _Group B_. The girls.

"You haven't happened to see a group of girls anywhere, have you?" Aris asked, taking a chance. He knew he shouldn't have his hopes high, but he couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat when Jorge hesitated to answer.

"If they're not _Cranks_ , then no," he replied as they passed all the houses, now noticing different types of buildings around them that Aris hadn't seen before. "Why? They you're friends?"

"Yeah, I'd guess you'd call them that."

"You and how many girls exactly?" Jorge asked with a smirk as he entered one of the large buildings.

"Too many to count," Aris replied as he searched around the house for any sign of Thomas or Brenda.

"Aren't you a lucky guy, _hermano_? All those girls? Did you get one?"

Aris paused for a second as he thought of her face, her beautiful face. "I-I almost did. She um…She didn't make it."

Jorge's face hardened as he turned to the kid, who looked down at the ground with a saddened look. Rachel. The name rang through Aris' head a thousand times and wouldn't leave. He could see Beth throwing the knife at her as it sunk into Rachel's chest with a sickening thunk, blood pouring from the wound as Jeze removed the knife stupidly, making it worse.

He felt like he could crawl into a ball and just cry for hours on end. But, he knew she wouldn't have wanted that. He refused to be weak. For her sake.

…

[Group Four: Louis and Jackson]

"Where are we now?" Louis asked, walking towards a truck in the middle of the road, giving out a yawn as the sun made him sweat.

"How should I know?" Jackson replied as he led the way. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take a nap inside of here? Problem?" Louis jumped inside the truck, not caring about the consequences as he laid down and closed his eyes.

"Why the hell did I have to get stuck with you?"

"Everyone else was taken."

Jackson rolled his eyes, knowing there was no way he was going to convince that flirtatious idiot to get off his ass. He sighed as he walked down one of the alleyways beside the truck, actually trying to do the job he was assigned. He noticed something very large on the wall inside the alley. As he got closer, he noticed it was a large, metal plaque stuck inside the wall.

He seemed to recognise the font on the plaque, but he wasn't sure why. It was a boring, dull metal with plain black lettering. However, the message was what really got him.

 **THOMAS, YOU'RE THE REAL LEADER**

"Woah," was all he could say as he read the message over and over again. He looked around him, suddenly paranoid of what could be around him at that moment. Was this WICKED's doing?

If it was, how were they here and how would they know they would see it?

"Louis, you might wanna wake up from your shucking beauty sleep and look at this," he yelled out, hoping he could hear him from inside the truck.

He heard a distant groan before he heard footsteps coming up behind him.

"What? I was having a fantastic dream about the _Greenie_?"

He rolled his eyes as he pointed to the plaque on the wall, and that finally made Louis snap out of his sleep induced daze. "Oh my god," he whispered. "No way. Why can't I be the leader? Why does it have to be Thomas?"

"God dammit Louis!"

…

[Group Six: Clint and Emil]

Emil sat in one of the abandoned buildings, staring down at his shaking hands as he tried to control his temper. He had no idea what was happening to him, but he didn't like the immense anger he was feeling at that moment.

He knew something was wrong with him. He just couldn't figure out what.

He could still remember the bus ride on the way to that safe place before the _Scorch_ that WICKED had set up. It replayed in his mind on a continuous loop.

 _"_ _You're doing well, Coughlan," the voice responded through his head, and he could just imagine the smirk the man was wearing once he spoke._

 _"_ _I read your letter. What do you want from me now?" he asked._

 _"_ _Reading the letter is not enough, surely you know that by now. You've got to put these things into action."_

 _"_ _But there's no point. What purpose does it serve anyway?"_

 _"_ _Stress induced panic attacks. The perfect way to measure brain waves. Wouldn't you agree?"_

 _"_ _So then why I am your guinea pig? Why couldn't it have been anyone else?"_

 _"_ _No one would have suspected you. You're too young to be evil, don't you think so?"_

 _"_ _Age has nothing to do with how shucked your mind is."_

 _"_ _Just remember, you're not here to make friends. You're not here to win or succeed. You're here to manipulate. And I'd say you've done a wonderful job of that. Playing the innocent boy card was a marvellous choice."_

 _"_ _I'll do what the stupid letter says. Now get out of my head."_

 _"_ _I can't do that Coughlan, not until you've done the job. I'm sure the clue was easy enough for your intelligent mind to solve, huh?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, I know who it is."_

"Emil!" Clint shouted, right as Emil turned his head with a vacant stare. "C'mon, we've got to go and find the others. They're worried about you."

 _Yeah, I'm sure they are,_ he thought bitterly as he stood up and followed.

…

[Group Five: Frypan]

He noticed the darkened alleyway and swallowed back his fear. He needed to do this by himself, to prove he wasn't just a wimp who could cook food. He wanted to prove that he was a useful member to the _Gladers_ inside the _Scorch_.

He hesitated before he started walking down, checking every inch of the alleyway in case. As he reached the end, he peeked around the corner only to see something that he hadn't encountered in a while.

Humans.

There were five people standing beside a building a few meters in front of him. One of them was a man with blonde hair. The other was a man with ridiculously long hair. Another was a woman with a ponytail. The other two figures though he could recognise immediately.

"No!" he heard Thomas shout, right before he tried to cover up his mistake. "I mean, no, I really don't think we should be drinking that stuff. We've gone a long time without water – we need that first. We, um, just wanna dance for a while."

He sounded nervous, and Frypan could tell Thomas was cringing at himself for looking like an idiot. But, he couldn't even tell where they were.

Dancing? Why were Thomas and Brenda going dancing?

Suddenly, a small, metal object pressed to the side of Thomas' skull, and it took no genius to figure out what the object was.

"I offered you a drink," the man with long hair said. "It would be very rude to turn such an offer down." He held out the cups towards them.

"I'm gonna count to one," the blonde haired man said as he pressed the gun harder to his temple. "Just one." Thomas didn't hesitate as he grabbed the cup and skulled it down, ending up giving out a horrid cough as the liquid burned his throat.

"Now you," the man with long hair said as he gave the cup to Brenda, who also skulled it down without hesitating. He took the empty cups from them with a huge grin on his face. "That's just fine! Back to dancing ya go!"

That was the least thing Frypan heard before he ran to find the others.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWELVE:**

Scorch: Saving Thomas and Brenda…

* * *

Day Five – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

[Group Two: Newt, Minho and Leo]

The _Crank_ 's screams echoed through the tunnel as it continued to run after them, waving the already blood covered knife in their hands. The three ran in panic as they tried to escape from the running _Crank_.

"Where the hell do we go?" Leo asked Minho, who was at the front and leading the way.

"I don't _shucking_ know!" he screamed back as he looked behind him, noticing the _Crank_ was picking up its pace as it got closer and closer. He suddenly stopped running as he turned fully around.

"What are you doing?" Newt asked as he stopped in front of Minho, but he shook his head and pushed him to the side.

"I'll distract him. One of you get the knife. The other protects them. Good that?"

"Minho, are you insane?" Leo asked as she turned, being able to see the _Crank_ 's deformed body getting closer and closer.

"Just do it!" he ordered as he jumped to the side, making the _Crank_ stop as it watched his movements. "Hey _Crank_! Come and get me ya stupid _shucking_ _shank_!"

"He's an idiot," Newt muttered, right as the _Crank_ started charging for Minho. With his agility and speed, he was able to dodge from the _Crank_ 's lunge, teasing and mocking him as he repeated the steps.

"Someone get the knife already," Minho shouted as he dodged another advance. Then another. Newt didn't hesitate as he leaped forward, grabbing hold of the _Crank_ 's hand as he struggled to pull it from his grip.

"Leo, little help," Newt grunted as he kicked at the _Crank_ 's feet. Leo gulped as she pushed her fear and anxiety to the side as she jumped onto the _Crank_ 's back, preventing it from moving too much.

The _Crank_ screamed and thrashed as it tried to attack the still taunting Minho, but Newt luckily grabbed hold of the knife and tossed it to the side, the metal clinking against the floor. He pushed himself away from the _Crank_ as he grabbed the knife off the ground.

Leo cried as the _Crank_ grabbed hold of her arm, trying to pull her off of him. With its strong grip, it lifted her into the air with a loud scream as it chucked her towards Minho, sending the two crashing into each other as both of them slammed onto the ground.

Newt, with knife in hand, ran forward and plunged the knife right into the distracted _Crank_ 's chest, blood pouring from the wound as it soaked the _Crank_ 's already bloodied shirt. The _Crank_ roared out in pain as it tried to remove the knife from its chest, but right before it could reach it fell down to its knees. The _Crank_ collapsed on the ground, its fingers twitching as the knife slipped even further through its chest from the ground, spraying blood onto the ground.

The _Underneath_ turned silent as the _Crank_ 's cries of pain died down. All that could be heard was the heavy breathing of the three _Gladers_ as their eyes remained attached to the now dead _Crank_.

"Holy _shuck_ ," Minho whispered as he stood himself up, breathing heavily as he bent over. "We've got to get moving before more come in."

He grabbed hold of the shaking Leo and Newt as he dragged them through the tunnel, seeing an already torn floorboard up ahead. He pushed the two through the ceiling and into the building.

As Leo looked around, only then did she realise how far they had travelled through the tunnels. They had passed all the houses and now were in what seemed like a city, with many large buildings and cars outside.

"Where was the meeting point again?" Newt asked as he pushed himself up to stand, positioning himself beside Leo as they stared out the window.

Minho grunted as he pushed himself through the floorboards, covering it back up as he stood up, inspecting the house.

"Up ahead. A few buildings up," he said. "But, let's rest here for a minute."

…

[Group Five: Frypan]

He sprinted as fast as he could, trying to reach the meeting point before anything else would happen. He had seen Thomas and Brenda. They were alive.

But they were in trouble.

Though he wasn't the fastest person in the world, the adrenaline in his body made him run faster than ever, sensing danger would come if he didn't hurry. He didn't know how long he had been running, nor did he knew exactly where he was, but all he knew was he had to tell the others before it was too late.

"Frypan!" someone screamed out. It was Clint as he ran towards him with Emil right behind him. "You're here. What's wrong?" he asked.

Frypan took a few deep breaths before he pointed to where he had been running from. "Thomas…Trouble…Drink…"

"We've got to get you back to the meeting point." He helped Frypan walk as he wrapped his arm around his shoulder, letting Frypan lean against him for balance. "Emil, go tell the others."

Emil gave a reluctant nod before he slowly walked off down the street, heading back to the meeting point.

Clint shook his head as he watched the young boy taking his time. "Most of the others are there. Jorge found Minho and the others resting in a nearby building. You're the last one back, along with me."

"Thomas…"

"You found Thomas?" Frypan nodded. "Where? Back there?"

He nodded again as he took another deep breath. Clint tried his best to walk faster, knowing the information had to be spread quickly. But of course with Emil as his partner, there wouldn't be much of a chance of being fast.

…

[Group Six: Emil]

He took a few slow steps as he kept looking behind him, making sure Clint and Frypan couldn't see him. Once he was sure he had walked far enough, he took off into a run as he pushed through one of the doors in a nearby building. He slammed his small body against it as the door swung open, causing him to fall against the ground.

He quickly pushed himself up as he shut the door behind him, checking out the window to make sure no one had seen him. He took a sigh of relief as he checked around the house, making sure there were no _Cranks_ inside.

"Coughlan," a voice whispered in the darkness of the building.

"So you are here," Emil responded as he moved away from the door, not bothering to turn on his flashlight to see through the dark.

"Of course I'm here. You can trust me, Coughlan."

The stranger turned on their flashlight, finally lighting up the room. The person sat in the chair, dressed fully in a black suit. They wore a protective mask over their mouth and nose, clearly to protect themselves from the disease.

"Coughlan…"

"Just use my name, miss," he said as he took a seat on the other side of the room, narrowing his eyes at the masked figure.

"Right – Emil – you've been doing well."

"I was told on that on the bus inside my head, I'm pretty sure I know that very well by now."

"I have another letter for you."

"Another one? I still haven't completed the task on the first one yet, and you're making me do another task. How much work do you expect me to do for you?"

"You're the only one who can help us. Don't you understand this?"

"Because of my intelligence? Or because I'm young."

"Oh, it's much more than just those two factors…Please, take and read the letter." Emil was hesitant before he rolled his eyes, holding out his hand for the woman to place the letter in. She did and he quickly snatched it away.

"I best be going now. I trust you can do this for us, Coughlan." The woman stood up, giving him a nod before she walked out of the building, heading down the street as two other men appeared and walked behind her.

Emil gave a sigh, sinking lower in his chair as he stared down at the letter.

 _Step One – In progress_

 _Step Two – Find Group B._

…

The _Gladers_ rested inside the meeting point, Jorge looking outside the window to check if others were coming or if any _Cranks_ were inspecting the building. He covered his eyes with his hand to shield himself from the harsh light, only to see Clint and Frypan walking in the distance, heading towards them.

The door suddenly opened as the _Gladers_ quickly got ready to fight, only to find it was Emil who had stomped into the room.

"About time you showed up," Jorge remarked as he shut the door, preventing any more heat entering the room. The other _Gladers_ glanced at each other, still not fully trusting Emil after his outburst a few hours earlier.

"I was busy," was his reply as he sat down on the floor, not making eye contact with anyone around him.

"What's up his ass?" Minho whispered to Leo, who shrugged.

"I don't want to bloody know," she whispered back, and Newt nodded.

A knock on the door stopped any conversation as Jorge opened it, revealing a very exhausted Frypan with Clint by his side. The two quickly entered the room before Clint sat Frypan down on one of the couches.

"What happened out there?" Newt asked as he sat down beside him.

Frypan took a deep breath before he started to speak, finally feeling his energy coming back as he rested. "I walked down one of the alleyways and…I saw Thomas and Brenda surrounded by a few figures. They forced them to drink something and then led them inside with a gun to Thomas' head. I got here as soon as I could."

"Where they going 'dancing'?" Jorge asked as he folded his arms, walking closer towards them. Frypan nodded, which made Jorge sigh.

"I know exactly where they are. They've been dragged into that nightclub, they serve them drinks that make them dizzy, hallucinate, you name it. They drug them to say the least. Then, they do whatever they want to their unconscious and drugged up bodies."

"And if they pulled a gun on them, they might be taking them…" Leo trailed off as Jorge nodded.

"As hostage, yes."

"Well, we've to get them don't we? We've got to get them out of there, simple as that," Minho said as he stood up, but Jorge pushed him back down to the ground.

"Not that simple _hermando_ ," he said with a smirk. "First, its going to be dark soon. Second, most of them are armed. Third, we would be outnumbered by a dangerous amount. And fourth, you'd be an idiot to attack without a plan."

"Give me a plan then."

"Hold your horses, we'll leave tomorrow morning and head down to the alleyway. Then, we'll split up into groups of three or four and sneak up behind them. Most of them will be either drugged or knocked out. If you're sneaky and quiet enough, taking them out will be easy."

"Then why can't we go now?"

"Shhh, _hermando_. We'll have to go through the front, like Thomas and Brenda did. If we went at night, there would be no chance of us getting past without having to drink the liquid. Those druggos are more aware during the night."

"So we don't have much of a choice but to leave tomorrow?" Leo asked and Jorge nodded.

"After we knock the few at the entrance, we split up and go after certain groups. They'll most likely not be all on the same floor. Thomas and Brenda could possibly be locked in the basement for all we know."

"Are you sure this will all work out?" Newt asked as he glanced around at the rest of the _Gladers_ nervously, not wanting to lose any more of them.

"We'll have no deaths or injuries. Just make sure you listen and follow me."

* * *

Day Six – Part One – The Scorch Trials

"On my mark, three of you will go up to that guy at the front and take him out. Remember what I thought you."

Leo, Clint and Frypan nodded as they got ready to move out of their hiding spot. Though Leo was beyond nervous and the anxiety was rising in her body, she couldn't help but feel a little excited at what they were going to do. They were on a rescue, stealth mission to rescue Thomas and Brenda.

She didn't know whether she was shaking from nerves or excitement.

"One…" Jorge started as the three adjusted their stance, ready to run. Minho and made sure at least one of the _Runners_ , past or current, were in separate groups to help the others with speed. If three _Runners_ were in one group, the others wouldn't have much of a chance.

"Two…"

Leo lifted her head to peak over the sewer drain of the _Underneath_ , ready to jump and bolt. She wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans before she took a deep breath, narrowing her eyes.

"Three! Go!"

Leo was the first to jump up as she held a knife in her hand, sprinting towards the first line of cover. The truck nearby. She slid on the ground as she hid behind the large vehicle, Clint and Frypan soon arriving after her. She looked over at the two, holding up three fingers. She whispered the numbers as she counted down before she jumped out of cover and ran over to the alleyway entrance, pushing herself up against the wall. Clint ran straight towards the other side of the entrance and did the same.

Frypan took a deep breath before he calmly walked out of cover, heading down the entrance to where the man guarding was standing.

The man quickly noticed him and gave him a giant grin. "Hello, you wanting to have some fun?" the man asked.

Frypan nodded. "Sure am. How do I get inside?"

"Oh, you've just got to drink this." The man held out a cup filled with the strange liquid that Thomas and Brenda had been forced to drink. "That's your payment."

"Just a sip? How easy is that?"

"Ah, that's what many say." He was about to hand the cup over to Frypan when he felt something at the front of his neck. He couldn't move his head as he looked out of the corner of his eyes.

"Drop the cup," Leo growled in a whisper, placing the knife closer to his neck. "Don't think I won't hesitate to slit your bloody throat."

The man quickly dropped the cup to the ground, the liquid spilling out as it splashed all over the ground. The man was sweating as she continued to bring the knife closer.

"W-what do you want? Money? Food? What?" the man stuttered, sweat starting to form as it dripped down his brow.

Clint walked out of cover as he placed his knife behind his back, hiding it from the man's sight. Leo slowly removed her knife from his neck, making the man sigh with relief.

Clint quickly raised his hand, holding it out sideways as he made contact with the side of the man's neck, slamming it into the skin and hitting the muscle. The man gave out a choked breath right before his eyes closed, his body going limp as he crashed down to the ground.

"Well done," she whispered to him with a nod.

"Your hands are covered in sweat," Clint said as he pointed to her hands.

"Yeah, the anxiety's kicking in." She walked out of the alleyway and waved her hand, giving the other _Gladers_ the signal to move. The three quickly entered the building as the other _Gladers_ followed close behind, noticing how many people were in the room.

"Split into threes. Ready, go," Jorge whispered as he grabbed hold of Aris and Edwin, dragging them over to the left side of the room.

Leo, Clint and Frypan quickly and quietly headed over to the right side of the room, quickly ducking as they ran behind the drugged and stumbling figures.

Newt, Neils and Jackson headed straight down the middle, pushing past the people and pretending to blend into the crowd.

The last group, Minho, Emil and Louis headed towards the staircase, taking the upper level first to take out the few people who might have been there.

Each group took down three people in quiet, all of them using the grand tactic that Jorge had taught them without having to use their weapons.

Until Emil walked straight up to one of the guys upstairs and punched him in the face, causing him to scream out to the others for help. This alerted everyone in the building and soon they all started to attack the _Gladers_.

…

Captive: Thomas and Brenda

"Can you please take this tape off me now?" Thomas asked as he adjusted himself in the chair.

Tall and Ugly flicked his hand, a sharp, shiny knife appearing in its place as the blonde haired man rolled his eyes.

"What do you think?" he asked.

"Sure, why not," was Blondie's stoic reply.

Tall got to his feet as he walked over towards Thomas, leaning over with the knife outstretched. Then, hard thumps were heard from the ceiling, followed by a couple of screams. Footsteps, jumping, thumps, screams.

"Another group must've found us," Blondie said, his face turning pale. He stood up, motioning for the other two men to follow him. Then, they walked up the set of stairs, all the while the chaos above them continued.

…

Fighting: The _Gladers_

"Shit," Leo cursed as she got out of hiding, using her knife as she cut one of the drugged up men across the arm, then kicking his leg to knock him to the ground. Frypan quickly grabbed hold of the man's arms and legs as he held them down, allowing her to quickly hit him in the neck, knocking him out.

The fighting continued, as Leo had to use her knife more than she would have originally liked, but she made sure to never kill any of the men or women in the room. The _Gladers_ jumped, ran and screamed as they attacked, filling the entire building with the sounds of violence. And all because of Emil.

She noticed three men walking up the stairs beside her, making her quickly hide as she held her knife close to her. Two of the men walked past quickly as they noticed the others fighting, while the third stayed around her hiding spot.

He must have known she was there.

It was a guy with a very long ponytail, as he continued to walk around that one spot, making her heart race.

"Where are you?" he whispered out, somehow the sound of his voice was louder than all the sounds of fighting around them. As he took a step past her, she quickly lunged out and used her knife, stabbing him in the ankle as he cried out in pain. He fell down to the ground, his ankle starting to bleed as the coppery colour flooded the floor.

"You stupid bitch," the man cursed as he used his other hand to grab hold of her, and she yelped as she tried to fight him off. She used one of her legs and kneed the man in the stomach, causing him to lose oxygen for a second as he groaned. She took the chance and kicked him straight in the head, it causing a sickening crunch as he fell unconscious.

She sighed with relief as she sat herself against the wall, noticing the sounds starting to die down as the fighting seemed to start coming to an end.

…

Captive: Thomas and Brenda

"What if a bunch of full-gone _Cranks_ are up there?" Thomas asked.

Brenda tried to speak, but it came out muffled from the tape.

Thomas started jumping in his chair in tiny steps towards her, making it a metre before the fighting and rumbling stopped. He froze in place as he looked up.

Nothing.

…

Fighting: The _Gladers_

"Well, that was fun," Minho said with a smirk as he twisted one of his knives, glancing back at the other _Gladers_.

"Just go down and get them," Leo said as she rolled her eyes.

Minho nodded as he quickly rushed towards the door, kicking it open as he sprinted down the stairs. He smirked as he kept twisting the knives in his hands, his ego inflating by a few hundred puffs. He could hear the _Gladers_ chucking the unconscious bodies around as he continued to run. Finally, he reached the door and kicked it open, noticing one of the figures in the room jump in his chair.

He stepped out into the light, noticing the boy's eyes widen as he recognised his bloodied and dirtied form. "You guys look comfy," he said with a smirk.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER THIRTEEN:**

Scorch: Blood Spilled in the Scorch…

* * *

Day Six – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

"What…how…" Thomas stuttered, trying to form words.

"We'd just found you. Did you think we were gonna let these bunch of shuck-faces do anything to you? You owe me. Big-time." He walked over and started cutting the tape holding them to the chair.

"What do you mean you'd just found us?"

"Jorge's been leading us through the city – avoiding _Cranks_ , finding food." He finished freeing Thomas and then moved over to Brenda. "Yesterday morning, we kind of spread out, spying here and there. Frypan was peeking around the corner into that alley up there just as those three shanks pulled a gun on you. He came back, we got mad, started planning our ambush. Most of those _shucks_ were wasted or asleep."

Brenda pushed herself out of the chair and past Minho, hesitating before she came towards Thomas. Once she'd reached him, she ripped the tape off of her mouth. Thomas stood up, and immediately sat back down as the room swayed.

"Oh, man. Anybody got some aspirin?"

Minho laughed as Brenda walked over to the bottom of the stairs, her arms folded.

"Brenda?" he asked awkwardly. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's go. I wanna see Jorge."

"Come on, dude. Headache or no headache, we need to go. No telling how long we can keep the _shuck_ prisoners up there quiet and still."

"Prisoners?" Thomas repeated.

"Whatever you wanna call them—we can't risk letting them go until we get out. We've got a dozen guys holding more than twenty. And they aren't too happy. They might start thinking they can take us pretty soon. Once they get rid of their hangovers."

Thomas stood himself, closing his eyes from the dizziness as he tried to regain his balance. He took a deep breath as he looked up at Minho.

"I'll be fine."

Minho flashed him a smile. "Such a man. Come on."

Leo turned her head at the sound of the footsteps coming down the stairs. She twisted the knife in her hands as she watched Minho leading Thomas and Brenda, both of them looking terrible. A smile reached her face as she gave him a nod, which he returned.

Jorge, Newt and Aris stood guard, all walking in circles around the unconscious bodies, knives in their hands.

"What happened to you guys?" Thomas asked as the three reached the bottom of the stairs. "Where have you been?"

"Hey, it's Thomas!" Frypan thundered.

"As ugly and alive as ever!" Newt walked up to him, giving him a smile. "Glad you're not bloody dead, Tommy. I'm really, really glad."

"You too. Has everyone made it so far? Where'd you guys go? How'd you get here?"

Newt nodded. "Still eleven of us. Plus Jorge."

"We got here through the _Underneath_ , along with travelling down alleyways and through abandoned buildings," Leo said as she walked over, placing her hand on Thomas' shoulder.

"Any sign of Barkley and the rest of them? Were they the ones who set off the explosion?"

Jorge stood right beside the door, a sharp sword in his hands resting on Tall and Ugly's shoulder. Ponytail was beside, curled up into a ball on the ground. Thomas glanced down and noticed Ponytail's ankle was bleeding quite badly, and quickly realised what had happened when he noticed the blood dripping from Leo's knife.

"Haven't seen 'em since," Jorge said. "We got away quickly, and they're too scared to come deeper into the city."

As Thomas glanced around the room, he noticed something was off. There was someone missing from the pile of unconscious bodies.

"Minho," Thomas whispered, motioning from him to come closer. "The guy with really short blonde hair. Seemed like the leader. What happened to him?"

Minho shrugged, looking over at Newt.

"Must've got out," Newt answered. "A handful did – we couldn't stop all of them."

"Why? You worried about him?" Minho asked.

"He had a gun. He's the only one I've seen with something worse than a knife. And he wasn't very nice."

"A knife does a lot more damage than you might think," Leo said.

"Nice stab in the ankle by the way," Minho said as he patted her on the back.

"It's just…" Thomas trailed off.

"Who gives a _klunk_? We'll be out of this stupid city in an hour. And we should go. Now."

"Okay, I want to get out of here before he comes back."

"Listen up!" Minho suddenly called out, stepping through the crowd and glancing at each of the bodies of the drugged up men. "We're leaving now. Don't follow us, you'll be fine. Follow us, you'll be dead. Pretty easy choice, don't ya think?"

"And I was just getting used to him not ordering us around," Leo muttered.

Most of the _Gladers_ started heading out the door and into the bright light of the _Scorch_. Each of them covered their eyes as the sudden light burnt their eyeballs, along with their skin. However, Thomas stood in a daze inside.

"Hey, Thomas!" Minho yelled. "Dude, wake up! We're leaving!"

Thomas seemed to snap out of his daze as he moved forward, stopping beside Brenda as he gave a little push to start moving. She hesitated for a moment before she headed out the door, not missing the glance of Minho as she left.

Leo stepped out of the building, blinded by the light as she closed her eyes, yet her eyes still felt irritated from the sun. She covered her whole face with her hands, trying to ease down the pain.

Minho, Newt and Jorge waited until everyone but Thomas and Brenda were out, keeping guard. Soon, they slowly backed away, still threatening the men with their knives, but it looked like none of them would put a fight.

Soon, everyone was gathered in the alleyway, making Thomas notice the unconscious body on the ground from the previous stealth mission of the _Gladers_.

"So, what do we do now?" Leo asked, turning to Minho as he looked at everyone in the ground.

"I think we should make a run for it. There's only a mile left. These Cranks aren't so hard to fight after all. So let's-"

"Hey!"

The shout came from behind them, loud and screechy, filled with insanity. Leo spun around, seeing the blonde haired man Thomas was worried about standing on the bottom step by the open door, his arm extended. He held the gun surprisingly steady, even with his knuckles turning white.

It was aimed right at Thomas.

Then, the blonde man fired, the loud boom echoing through the alley as Leo screamed. Everyone else was silent, staring in shock as a body fell to the ground.

Thomas. The impact spun him around, making him fall flat on his face as his nose hit the ground. His left shoulder was bleeding down onto the ground, pouring out of the small hole in his shirt.

Leo's ears rang from the loud gunshot, making her hold her ears as she ducked to avoid any more gun shots. Then gun fired again, right before Minho tackled the man down to the ground.

The gun skidded across the cement as Minho threw many punches, the blonde haired man's face becoming bloodier every minute. The ringing in her ears got louder as she moved away, running over to Thomas to try and help.

Thomas had rolled on his back, his whole body still in shock from the gunshot.

"He shot me," Thomas said as he looked down at the gunshot wound.

Leo rummaged through her backpack, noticing Newt right beside her as he bent down to Thomas. She pulled out a spare shirt and handed it to him, making him press it tightly onto Thomas' wound. He cried out, the pain rushing through him like fire.

"This is not happening," Leo muttered as she watched the blood pouring onto the spare shirt covering his wound.

"I can get that sucker out of him," Jorge said. "But I'll need a fire."

"We can't do this here," Newt interrupted.

"Let's get out of this _shuck_ city," Minho said.

"If we're doing that, we need to carry him. Help me out," Leo said as she got ready to lift up his legs. Other hands gripped onto his legs, others going over to his mid-section.

"On the count of three," Jorge started. "One. Two. Three!"

The group of _Gladers_ , all of them beside Emil, lifted Thomas up to the sky as they tried to move him out of the alleyway. Thomas gave out a few grunts and groans, right before he passed out.

"He's lost consciousness," Leo announced to the others.

"Speed it up _shanks_!" Minho ordered as all of the Gladers worked together, trying as hard as they could to get him out of the city and into somewhere safer. They had no idea where that would be, but they had to get their quickly.

…

They had been running for at least an hour now, still trying to find a place to treat him. Thomas kept slipping in and out of consciousness, which only made the _Gladers_ try even harder. But it seemed like everywhere they turned, there were _Cranks_.

Their breaths were heavy and fast as their feet pounded on the pavement. The _Cranks_ screamed in the background, their voices attracting more of them to follow as they ran.

"Someone get rid of those _shucking_ bastards!" Minho shouted.

Leo then, felt a sudden push on her shoulder. She gave out a yelp as the impact caused her to drop to the ground, dropping Thomas' feet in the process. Only when she looked up did she realise who had intentionally pushed her to the ground.

Emil.

What a surprise.

The _Gladers_ noticed the drop of Thomas' feet and quickly turned. Emil stood beside her, staring down at her on the ground, while she sat in shock.

She could hear the _Cranks_ ' screams coming closer and closer, yet when she tried to stand up, Emil was there to push her back down. He jumped on top of her, keeping her down onto the ground as she screamed and thrashed.

"What the hell are you doing!? Let me go!" She screamed, yet Emil made no move to do so.

" _Shucking_ hell," Minho muttered. "You guys go on. Me and Newt have got this." On the count of three, Minho and Newt dropped their parts of Thomas as they rushed to not only help Leo, to not only interrogate Emil, but also get rid of those screaming _Cranks_ who kept drawing closer.

Minho grabbed hold of the knife from his backpack as he charged straight towards the _Cranks_ , slicing one of them in the arm as they stumbled backwards. The _Crank_ screamed out in pain, but it only made it more aggravated as it lunged towards Minho, who luckily dodged it just in time. He lunged again, slicing the _Crank_ on the other arm, trying to waste time.

"Emil! Have you gone insane?" Leo screamed as she grabbed hold of Emil's arms, trying desperately to push him off of her as he kept her down. Newt grabbed hold of Emil's back as he lifted the now surprisingly strong Emil, giving her just enough time to roll out from underneath him.

"What are you doing?" Emil screamed, his loud, squeaking voice attracting more of the _Cranks_. "Why did you stop me? Everything would have been better if he wasn't here! You've doomed us all! We're all going to die!"

Emil thrashed around in Newt's arms, screaming at the top of his lungs as the veins on his neck started to form. Without needing a word of conversation, Leo reached into Newt's backpack and pulled out something similar to a rope. Newt gave her a nod, and gave her no other choice as he dropped Emil down to the ground.

The two grabbed hold of the rope, first wrapping it around his arms. Emil screamed and kicked in protest, kicking Leo in the jaw during his struggle, but it didn't stop the two from doing what needed to be done. Once his hands had been tied up, they then tied up his ankles together.

"You've killed us all! You've killed us all!" he chanted, stirring more of the _Cranks_ to come closer.

"Shut that damn kid up!" Minho shouted as he tried his best to fight off the incoming creatures.

Leo searched through her backpack for something to use, but had to luck. Instead, she rushed into one of the abandoned buildings, hoping to find something to use in order to stop Emil's screams. She frantically searched through cupboards, drawers, anything that something like duct tape could be stored.

She had gone through three buildings before she finally found some duct tape in what seemed like it used to be an office building. She bolted out the door, chucking the duct tape in Newt's direction. He caught it with ease as he ripped some off, sticking it on top of Emil's mouth.

Emil's screams were muffled. He had pretty much given up struggling at this point, as there was no way of escaping.

"You alright?" Newt asked as he moved over to Leo, inspecting her arms and legs for any type of damage. She nodded her head, a little out of breath from her running, but other than that and her palms becoming sweaty from the sounds of the screaming _Cranks_ , she was fine.

He gently squeezed her shoulder before he reached his hand into her pocket, slowly pulling out the knife that had still been covered in Ponytail's blood. He slowly placed it into her hand as he curled her fingers around the hilt, giving her a nod as he pulled out his own.

"You shanks better stop romancing over there and come help me!" Minho shouted in annoyance as he sliced at the second _Cranks_ ' ankle, making the creature fall to the ground as it screamed in pain.

Leo gave a shaky nod as the two quickly moved towards Minho, ready to fight off the large amount of creatures now.

Noticing the new prey, one of the _Cranks_ charged towards Leo, but she was prepared this time as she lunged towards the _Crank_ , pushing the blade of the knife into the _Cranks_ ' chest. The blood leaked out of the _Cranks_ ' body as he twitched before his body went limp as he fell to the ground.

Leo had no idea how long they been stuck fighting the _Cranks_ , and they had no idea how far the others had gone now. It would take a long time before they would be able to find them again, especially since they had three more _Cranks_ to get rid of before they could even think of chasing down the other _Gladers_.

She looked from the corner of her eye and saw Newt quickly slashing the _Crank_ 's throat as its body fell to the ground. Minho had stabbed the other _Crank_ in the leg, right before stabbing them in the chest.

The last _Crank_ was a female as it slowly walked towards Leo. The _Crank_ gave a strange smile towards her, making Leo hesitate before killing her. Was she not fully turned?

"You're lips are very pretty, aren't they?" the female _Crank_ asked as she walked closer, the smile on her face growing at a sickly rate.

Leo took a step back, not sure of what to do. The female _Crank_ kept coming and closer, but yet made no move to attack her. Leo held her knife in her hands, her hands shaking as she started to panic. What did this woman want from her?

Before the female _Crank_ could get any closer, Newt pushed his knife through her chest. The _Cr_ anks' eyes widened as a piercing scream left her mouth, and with the last of her strength she tried to reach for Leo's body, but Leo took a step back. The woman fell down to the ground with her hand out, her eyes remaining open as she slowly died.

Leo took a few deep breaths as she wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans, the heat of the burning sun not seeming to bother her anymore. Newt walked closer to her, dropping the knife as he embraced her in a much needed hug. It had been days since they could do something just as simple as a hug, and even though they technically weren't alone, it didn't matter.

She melted in his warm embrace, feeling the weight lifting off her shoulders as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she blinked them down.

Minho walked past them, not bothered by their sudden affection and over to the now wide eyed Emil. "You saw nothing," he whispered in a threatening tone, his eyes piercing with anger as he stared Emil down.

Emil felt slightly intimidated, which shocked him since he had never thought Minho could come across as intimidating. Minho bent down, lifting Emil up off the ground and over his shoulder, ready to start walking.

"You two take as long as you want. I'll take this _shuck_ back to the others," Minho said as he walked towards where the others had gone to a long while ago.

"I don't know how much longer I can last," Leo whispered as she wrapped her arms Newt, trying her best to keep her emotions under control. "Everything's going wrong. Thomas is wounded, Emil's trying to kill me…"

Newt just shushed her as he gave her a gentle smile, his eyes telling her not to worry, to just enjoy the moment. He leaned down, placing a sweet kiss on her lips as he pulled her even closer.

"If I'm still here, you'll last. I can promise you that," he whispered as he gave her another kiss, before he pulled her back into a hug. They knew they would have to eventually separate and go searching for the others, but right now neither from them wanted to leave each other, even if they knew _Cranks_ could start coming for them at any minute.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FOURTEEN:**

Scorch: Assistance from the Enemy…

* * *

Day Six – Part Three – The Scorch Trials

By the time the four reached the others it had almost gotten dark. The air cooled down only slightly as the wind picked up, the hot air blowing onto them as they all reached a safe location. The group of boys dropped Thomas as gently as they could down onto the ground, the sun setting as the _Gladers_ all took the chance to rest.

"He still breathing?" Minho asked and Clint nodded as he checked on Thomas, who had his eyes slightly cracked open, though they didn't stay open for long.

"Yeah. He's still breathing. His shoulder's stopped bleeding at least." Clint took the shirt off the wound for a second and then nodded, placing it back. "For now."

Frypan and Leo had gotten some wood and lit a fire, which Jorge had ordered them to do so in order to help him remove the bullet. The _Cranks_ were now only distant screams, and they were long gone from the buildings that they were located in.

"Are you really going to do this?" Leo asked, glancing over at Jorge, who was staring at Thomas' body. "Can you do this?"

Jorge have a nod. "I've done this before," he simply responded as he stood up, ready to perform the task of removing the bullet from Thomas' shoulder.

"How many times?" Newt asked as he moved beside him, obviously worried that Thomas might not survive this.

"Enough that I know what I'm doing. Now shut up and let me do it."

"You better hold him down," Clint said then. "Legs and arms."

Leo and Newt quickly moved over to Thomas' body, Leo holdings his arms and Newt taking his legs, as they kept him down to the ground. Everyone knew what was going to happen, and Leo closed her eyes at the sight of Jorge pulling out his knife.

Jorge slowly moved over to the burning fire, sticking the knife out till the flames touched the blade, almost turning the blade red.

"This is gonna hurt somethin' awful," Jorge said as he moved back over to Thomas, the blade showing the reflection of the setting sun as it moved closer to Thomas' shoulder.

Leo turned her head quickly as the blade pierced Thomas' skin, burning through as the knife searched for the bullet. He hissed in agony, thrashing for a few seconds, right before he passed out from the explosion of pain. She almost gagged at the sound of the knife moving in his shoulder. The heat cauterised the wound, stopping the blood from escaping as the knife finally found the bullet. Jorge narrowed his eyes as he twisted the knife, lifting the bullet up and out of Thomas' shoulder. It clattered onto the ground as the _Gladers_ remained silent as they watched Jorge pull out the knife, wiping it before he put it back in his pocket.

"Is he…alright?" Leo asked as she opened her eyes, removing her hands from Thomas' arms as she glanced at his shoulder.

"He's just unconscious. He'll be back soon."

The _Gladers_ looked at each other with worried glances, all hoping Thomas would be alright when tomorrow approached. Jorge sat back down beside Brenda, giving her shoulder a squeeze in reassurance.

Leo didn't know if she was going to be able to sleep that night. They had gone through so much in that one day. Not only had Thomas gotten shot by someone who could come back at any time and do the same thing again, but Emil was turning more insane with each passing day.

Had he already conducted the Flare? Were they all going to become like him? Or was WICKED doing something to him? Or had he finally snapped?

Even though he was currently tied up and kept on watch by Minho, she still feared of what he might do. He had almost killed her three times now, and she didn't know how many more attempts it would take before he did the real thing.

An hour passed and the stars finally shone in the black sky, the hot air finally changing into a cool breeze. But it quickly became too cold as she hugged her arms for warmth, rubbing them up and down.

Brenda held onto Thomas' hand, staring down at his unconscious body with worry. Leo wondered how long she would stay there before she would have to sleep. Before any of them would have to sleep.

None of the _Gladers_ seemed to sleep easily that night. Many tossed and turned during the night, worry taking over them, or others only got a few hours of sleep. Leo was one that only got one hour of sleep, but it wasn't because of Thomas. It was Emil…

…

She woke up in the street that had haunted her nightmares while in the _Glade_. But this time she was used to the heat and the burning of her skin. She was back in her long, white dress but this time it was more of a Greek style dress, hanging off one shoulder and reaching all the way down to the floor. She had a gold, thick ring around her neck and around her wrists, which almost reminded her of golden chains.

Her long cascaded over her shoulders, along with the white flowers in her hair and the white shoes on her feet, she looked almost like a Greek Goddess. She glanced around the entire street, searching for Emil. She knew how this dream ended, with her getting stabbed in the chest and slowly dying on the burning concrete. She needed to get out of there quickly.

She turned around and quickly started to run, hoping that she would be able to reach the house before Emil could get her, even though she couldn't seem him anywhere, which made her even more worried.

She sprinted as fast as she could, reaching the door in a matter of seconds as she smashed her body against it, slamming it open as she fell to the ground. She quickly pushed herself to stand, just as someone grabbed hold of her arms and pulled her towards them.

She screamed as she kicked her legs, hoping to escape from the stranger's grip. She turned her head and saw a man wearing full black military gear, a mask over his mouth as he held a gun in one hand. But it didn't look like the usual gun she had seen or what she remembered one to look like.

"Stop struggling," the man said as he tightened his grip on her, which made laughter sound from behind them. She turned her head and saw Emil sitting down on the chair with a sickening smirk on his face, a leg crossed as he tilted his head to the right.

"Leave her," he commanded as he held his hand out, signifying the man to stop. The man reluctantly let go, making her push him down to the ground, an evil glare on her face.

"What the bloody hell do you want now?" she asked, furious as she looked at Emil. She was beyond pissed. He had haunted her dreams, had tried to kill her, and had been an absolute dick to her…She'd had enough.

"I don't think that's any way to speak to me," he taunted, holding a knife in his left hand as he glanced at it, moving it around to look at his reflection in the blade.

"You're bloody three or four years younger than me! You have no authority over me!"

"I have a knife, and I'm pretty sure that this knife could potentially end your life if I stabbed you in the neck, chest or practically anywhere. You would bled out on this very floor, and I would end up leaving you here to die a slow and painful death."

 _Kill him already. Just do it._

Leo's eyes widened at the sudden voice in her mind. But it wasn't her own. It was a voice of an angered man, demanding her to kill him. She took a step back, startled as she banged her back against the door.

 **Wouldn't it be amazing if you could plunge that reflective knife into his chest, watching the blood pour out as he lay there, barely breathing as he struggles for the air to enter his lungs…?**

She panicked. This was the voice of an English man, sounding very depressed and almost amazed at the thoughts of what he could do, or what he could get Leo to do. Her hands started sweating as the two voices overlapped each other.

Please, he's going to kill us! You need to do this! Please!

She fell down to the floor, the child-like voice screaming at her, crying as it begged her to kill him. Emil suddenly noticed her changed state and stood up, almost in alarm. Tears came out of her eyes as the voices continued, screaming at her, driving her insane as she became short of breath.

"You…You can hear them too?" Emil asked as he took a step closer, his eyes widening as his voice changed, almost sounding sympathetic.

"Stop…Stop it!" she screamed as she grabbed her head, the tears landing on the carpet. The man stared at the two of them, almost in shock. He had no idea what was going on. "Make them stop!"

"I…If only I knew how…" Emil bent down to her level, his eyes also filling with tears as the voices in his head also got louder, telling him similar things that the voices were telling her. "Then I could stop them myself…"

* * *

Day Seven – Part One – The Scorch Trials

She woke up and screamed, clutching her head as she thought the voices were still there. The others quickly woke up, noticing her panicked state and rushed to try and help. She burst out into tears as she tried to calm herself down, but she thought the voices were still in her head, screaming at her to kill.

"Leo," Newt said as he grabbed hold of her arms, pulling her close to him. "It was just a dream. It was just a dream…" He whispered as he rubbed her back, not bothering to care that the others happened to be watching at that moment.

Emil twitched, tears coming out of his eyes as he trashed around, trying to escape from the rope keeping him trapped. He knew what was happening to her, and know she knew he was going through the same thing.

She looked up for a second at him and saw him shaking his head, begging her not to tell any of them about what had happened. If he knew what had happened to her, then did he have the same dream?

Was WICKED behind all of this? Is this really all real, or are they just messing with them? Oh god, she had no idea what to believe.

She cried and panicked for another half an hour before she finally calmed down, Newt whispering reassuring words to her, his warm embrace giving her some hope that she wasn't going insane. That it really was just a dream.

But she didn't know if that hope was false or not.

And she didn't want to know…

…

The next morning came in a matter of minutes, the sun rising as the cold wind picked up again. But this time, it wasn't because of the natural weather of the Scorch. Leo looked up at the sky and noticed something moving.

A deep thrumming filled her ears as she yelped, blocking her ears from the loud noise that seemed to rattle her skull. The hum came from above. The wind became even worse as something seemed to be coming closer to them.

Something big.

Something mechanical.

"The _Berg_!" Jorge shouted, pointing up at the sky as the _Gladers_ all started panicking, scanning the sky for the flying machine.

"The _Berg_?" Newt shouted over the wind and loud hum.

"What the hell is that thing?" Minho shouted, but they couldn't hear the response from Jorge over the increasingly loud noise.

She felt like she would be blown away at any second, the gust of wind ripping at her clothes as the thing came closer.

"Over there!" Minho screamed, pointing over to the north.

Dust from the ground flew up into the air, surrounding them like a cloud. She coughed as she squinted her eyes, trying to get the dust out of her eyes. Newt grabbed hold of her arm and the two ran over to the other side, trying to escape from the dust and loud noises.

Brenda rushed over to Thomas, squeezing his hand as she bent down beside him. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him. "I didn't mean to – I mean, I know that you…"

"Brenda!" Leo screamed as she noticed the machine landing on the ground, two figures rushing out and over towards them. "Move!"

The two figures grabbed hold of Brenda and pulled her away from Thomas, even though she screamed in protest. They wore baggy and dark green one-piece suits, a gas mask covering their faces. Letters were scrawled over their chests that read out WICKED. They looked evil, almost like giant insects.

One of them grabbed Thomas by his ankles, the other putting his hands underneath him as he gripped his armpits. Thomas screamed as they lifted him up into the air, pain flowing through his body.

The _Gladers_ screamed in protest, some in shock as they watched the two figures from WICKED carry him away from them and into the giant machine known as the Berg.

"Thomas!" Brenda screamed as she tried to run at him, but Jorge held her back. The machine lifted up off the ground, spiralling the dust around them as they closed the door on the Berg, leaving the _Gladers_ behind with confusion, shock and horror on their faces as they watched them leave.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER FIFTEEN:**

Scorch: Not Necessarily Happy Reunions…

* * *

Day Seven – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

The _Gladers_ were all seated on the ground underneath the shelter of a shabby hut made completely out of dry wood that looked like it would collapse at any second, waiting for the arrival of Thomas. He had been gone for a few hours now, and everyone was worried of what would happen. Would he come back alive? Or as a dead body? Would he even come back at all?

All they knew was that Thomas must have been very important to WICKED if they would take him away from the _Scorch_ to possibly "save him". How many other _Gladers_ had died during the past week without getting any help from WICKED? What made Thomas so important to them?

The other _Gladers_ all sat by each other, discussing their plans on what would happen next, how many days they would wait, etc. But Leo wasn't up for talking. She was deep in thought about both her nightmare and WICKED themselves.

She had kept this secret from the _Gladers_ for a long time now, and she wondered when it was going to fall apart. She knew they would find out eventually, whether by her doing or not. WICKED, she was sure of, would want this secret to be revealed to make the _Gladers_ either distrust her, or something worse.

And now the nightmare they gave her. Her and Emil. She took glances over to him every now and again, noticing him doing the same with panicked eyes. She wondered how long he had been under control of WICKED's nightmares. As long as she had? Longer?

What were they doing to the boy who used to be one of her greatest friends in the _Glade_? They had both been exposed to the same nightmare at the exact same time, and now they were also sharing something else.

 _He's being controlled by WICKED, don't you get that? He's only acting out like this because WICKED is doing something to him?_

'I obviously got that', she said to herself in her mind. 'But why?'

 **Did WICKED deliberately make Emil target you because you're both insane? Or is there some other connection between the two of you?**

That was possible. WICKED loved doing things that tortured others as they sat back and watched everything unfold. Maybe the two of them were nothing more than their guinea pigs to see how they could control them. How they could break them down into tiny little pieces until they were too tired to fight back.

What if he was just lying to you the whole time and was just putting up an act in front of you to make you trust him, right before he stabbed you in the back?

"Shut up!" she screamed as she held her head, drawing everyone's attention over to her. Her eyes widened once she realised she had spoken out loud, as she stood up.

"Do you not want to save Thomas?" Minho asked with a raised eyebrow, confused at her sudden outburst.

"She's insane, just leave it," Emil spoke up as he stood up, suddenly moving to stand beside her. It almost looked like he was defending her, expect for the comments that came from his mouth.

"You're insane too, _shuckface_ ," Leo said as she turned to glare at him.

"You think I don't know that," he whispered to her, staring up at her. "We're both the same…Mentally insane."

Just as she was about to open her mouth, a loud, deep thrumming filled her ears. She lifted her head, as did the rest of the _Gladers_ , and noticed a giant shadow forming over them. She held her hands to her ears as the noise rattled her skull, the wind picking up as the thing came closer.

"It's back!" Minho shouted.

"The _Berg_!" Jorge shouted, as he moved his hands to instruct them to move out of the way.

"What the hell is that?" Leo shouted as she pointed at something hanging from the _Berg_ by a canvas litter with handles, swaying back and forth in the wind. A large rope that was attached to a blue metal ring held the canvas as it seemed to lower it down to the ground.

"Is that…Thomas?" Frypan asked over the heavy thumps of the _Berg_.

"Thomas" was slowly lowered down until the canvas hit the ground with a soft bump, all of the _Gladers_ quickly rushing over to him to make sure it really was him. His eyes were wide open, his hands ripping the sides terrified. The rope that held him sprung back up into the air, the _Berg_ suddenly flying back up into the air. The engine's humming back softer as it disappeared and out of the Scorch, leaving everyone with many questions.

"What was that all about?"

"Are you okay?"

"What'd they do to you?"

"Who was that?"

"Have fun in the _Berg_?"

"How's your shoulder?"

Thomas didn't answer any of them as he tried to get up, but the ropes holding him to the canvas kept him down. "A little help here?" he asked Minho.

Without hesitation, Minho, Newt and Leo quickly worked on untying the ropes, chucking them to the side. Thomas got to his feet once he was freed, stretching his muscles as he continued to ignore the questions from the curious _Gladers_.

He had on a fresh pair of clothes and a bandage under the left sleeve of his shirt, the hot day seeming to hit him right away as he panted. "What are you guys doing out in the open? Your skin is gonna bake!"

Minho pointed at something behind him, the hut that they had previously came from. "We better get back under that thing," was his answer.

"You better tell us everything," Newt said as he gave a hardened look at Thomas, who quickly nodded.

"I will. I will."

The group headed back over to the shelter with Thomas following them and Brenda right beside him.

Leo glanced over at her shoulder back to the city of _Cranks_ which was a few miles back south. The sounds of the _Cranks_ had died out over the past few hours, and there had been no sign of any of them after Thomas had been taken by the _Berg_.

She quickly looked back to the north where the mountains lied, hopefully where their " _Safe Haven_ " would be. She wondered if they would even make it, or if they would be stuck inside the _Scorch_ as they slowly turned into the _Cranks_.

Hell, she and Emil were probably already becoming one of them.

Finally, they had reached the shelter, which had somehow remained intact throughout the entire time of the _Scorch_ and the _Flare_.

"All right," Minho said as he pointed to a spot in the far end of the shade. "You sit there, get yourself all nice and comfy and start talking."

Thomas took a seat and waited for everyone else to get seated before him. Leo sat down and Newt sat down beside her, tapping her on the shoulder.

"You sure you're alright? You were pretty bloody shaken up after that nightmare," he whispered and she gave a reluctant nod.

"Nothing more than the usual. Don't worry about it." She gave a small smile, which satisfied him enough as he squeezed her shoulder with his own smile.

Minho was the last one to take a seat underneath the shelter, right next to Brenda who seemed to roll her eyes.

"Okay, tell us about your adventures with the aliens in their big bad spaceship," Minho commented sarcastically.

"You sure about this?" Thomas asked. "How many days left to get over those mountains, to the safe haven?"

"Five days, dude. But you know we can't go tramping around in this sun with nothing to protect us. You're gonna talk, then we're gonna sleep, then we're all gonna bust our humps walking all night. Get on it."

"Good that. Save all your questions till the end, children."

None of the _Gladers_ laughed, making him cough awkwardly to change the subject. "It was WICKED that came and got me. I kept passing out, but they took me to some doctors who totally fixed me up. I heard them saying something about how it wasn't supposed to happen, how the gun had been a factor they hadn't expected. The bullet set off a nasty infection in me, and I guess they felt pretty strongly that it wasn't time for me to die."

 _Because you're special to WICKED. They need you for something, while we're all just test subjects._

 **If you died right now, would WICKED give you the same special treatment, or would they leave you to die a horrible, painful death?**

You're just one of WICKED's test subjects. You probably won't survive.

She quickly shook the voices out of her mind, only for a brief second so she could listen to the rest of Thomas' story. It could be vital information about who they were, or anything.

"Just telling you what I heard," he continued as he stared at the blank faces of the _Gladers_. He explained even more, that both disturbed her and well, disturbed her to the core. Killzone patterns. Candidates. Variables.

 _Candidates?_ _A person or thing regarded as suitable for or likely to receive a particular fate, treatment, or position._

 **Surely you would be a candidate right? Otherwise, why would they make you got through this entire process if you were just useless to them? You must be more than a plaything to them, right?**

Who are you kidding? Useless. You would not be one of the candidates. You're only suitable to be their test subject, and then killed once you fail a test. Nothing more.

Her eye twitched as the voices continued arguing with each other, and she tried to scream at them to shut up. She looked around the room, hoping for something to distract her. All she found was Emil seeming to do the same thing as her.

He mouthed to her "they won't be quiet" and she nodded.

They both shared three voices, each of them constantly arguing with each other and taking on a different personality of their own.

She mouthed back, "WICKED loves torturing us," and he nodded.

The rest of the _Gladers_ were both frustrated and confused by the information given to them by Thomas, even Jorge and Brenda looked annoyed.

"Well, that really cleared things up," Minho said. "Must have something to do with all those signs about you in the city."

Thomas shrugged. "Glad to know you're so happy to see me alive."

"Hey, if you wanna be the leader, no skin off my back. I am happy to see you alive."

"No thanks. You keep it."

Minho didn't answer as he went deep into thought. Newt got up to his feet, his face filled with concentration.

"So we're all potential candidates for something. And maybe the purpose of all the buggin' _klunk_ we've been through is to weed out those who don't qualify. But for some reason the whole gun-and-rusty-bullet thing wasn't part of the … normal tests. Or Variables, whatever. If Thomas is gonna croak and die, it wasn't supposed to come from a bloody infection."

Thomas pursed his lips and nodded, making the _Gladers_ groan.

"What this means is that they're watching us," Minho said.

"Just like in the _Maze_ ," Leo commented.

"Has anyone seen a _Beetle Blade_ running around anywhere?"

Several _Gladers_ shook their heads.

"What the hell's a _Beetle Blade_?" Jorge asked.

Thomas answered. "Little mechanical lizard things that spied on us with cameras in the _Maze_."

Jorge rolled his eyes. "Of course. Sorry I asked."

"The _Maze_ was definitely some kind of indoor facility," Aris said. "But there's just no way we're inside something anymore. Though they could be using satellites or long-range cameras, I guess."

Jorge cleared his throat. "What is it about Thomas that makes him so special? Those signs in the city about him being the real leader, them swooping in here and saving his butt when he got all sicky-sicky." He looked at Thomas. "I'm not trying to be mean, muchacho—I'm just curious. What makes you better than the rest of your buddies?"

"I'm not special," Thomas said.

 _He's lying. He's lying._

 **He knows he's more special than the rest of us. Of course he knows.**

He's hiding something from us. We'll all die but he'll be the only one to survive! He knows!

"You heard what they said. We have lots of ways to die out here, but that gun shouldn't be one of them. I think they would've saved anybody who'd gotten shot. It wasn't about me—it was the bullet that messed things up."

"Still," Jorge replied with a smirk. "I think I'll stay close to you from here on."

There were a few more discussions amongst the _Gladers_ , but Leo was too wrapped in her own mind to bother listening to them. Minho had insisted that everyone needed to sleep through the rest of the day if they were planning to march through the darkness of the night like they had planned to.

No one seemed to argue with him, even though the heat was making it impossible for people to concentrate properly. Yet again, there were pillows or blankets so Leo used her arm as a pillow and tried to sleep.

But she couldn't. She tossed. She turned. She moved locations. Nothing.

She sat up against one of the wooden planks as she glanced at the glaring sun. Most of the people surrounding her were asleep. Even Thomas had gotten to sleep after he had only been awake for half an hour.

She sighed as she pushed herself to stand, walking off into the distance and out of the shelter. She stood underneath the sun as she looked around, finally feeling the silence and loneliness of the _Scorch_.

The sun was halfway to the horizon as she sighed, sitting down on the ground as she covered her eyes with her hand.

"We need to talk," a voice spoke out from the silence, making her jump up as she sharply turned her head. She noticed it was Emil, who looked just as tired and drained as her.

She gave a reluctant nod as he sat down on the ground, making her sit down beside him. "We're the same, huh?" he asked as she nodded.

"Three voices?" she asked and he nodded. "All different?"

"All different. One angry man, one Irish old man and a child. All…All talking at once…"

"Screaming our deepest and darkest thoughts…" She went silent for a moment as she felt her eyes pricking with tears. "Why us? Why did WICKED choose us?"

"We're both highly intellectual, as present by both your ability to grab the definitions of certain words, and my high I.Q that they were generous to let me keep. We've both obviously been through some tough shit, and we're both highly insane."

She gave a slight smile as she wiped her eyes. "I missed the rambling, child-like Emil…"

He looked down at the ground as tears filled his eyes as well. "So do I."

"Emil…Are we…Has the _Flare_ gotten to us? Are we going to die?"

"It's just WICKED. Just WICKED…"

"How can you be so sure? Do you not question it?"

"Of course I do. I'm me. We both have horrifying nightmares, we both suddenly hear voices, similar ones to each other mind you, and WICKED watch and control our every move…Of course I've questioned it."

The two went silent for a moment before she gulped, working up the courage to ask a question she had been dying to know the answer to.

"Killing me…Was that all…?"

He nodded. "WICKED. WICKED, for sure. You've got your own mission, and I've got mine. Mine just happened to be trying to kill you."

"Will you…Will you do it again?"

"When I found out that you also hear the voices, when we had that nightmare… I, I knew there was no I could…Not when we're so similar…Do you wish I had?"

"S-Sometimes. Sometimes I do."

"I wish Minho had killed me when he had the chance."

The two finally looked up at each other, but neither said another word. The voices in their heads screamed at them to kill each other, WICKED screaming to kill each other, but neither could do it once they looked into each other's teary eyes.

They were like brother and sister, connected in so many ways, but yet so different. Both controlled by WICKED to either do terrible things, or keep things hidden, yet both knew they weren't special to them.

"If we died, would WICKED come and save us?" Emil suddenly asked, but Leo shook her head.

"We're test subjects. We're WICKED's little toys. If we were lost, they'd find someone else to control and play with until their desires were fulfilled."

"If we died, would anyone care?"

"Maybe…But they might not care for too long…"

"I wish I was dead, so I could stop this suffering…" Emil whispered as he started to sob, resting his head on Leo's shoulder.

She wiped her own tears as he hiccupped, placing a hand gently in his hair as she gently ran her hands through it. She thought of Newt in that moment, sleeping peacefully underneath the shelter and found a little bit of hope.

He could care if she disappeared. He would be devastated. So would Minho, and most likely Thomas, Frypan, Clint and even Emil.

Maybe there was a little hope to surviving the _Scorch_. She wished she could tell Emil the same, but he had pretended to betray the others. They didn't seem to like him as much as they did back in the _Glade_.

But she was going to. She would be the one who would care if he died.

She would promise him.

…

The sun was close to setting before the two made their way back to the shelter, arriving just before the others started to wake up. Newt had been the first to wake, and was surprised to see both Leo and Emil already awake, but didn't say anything. He grabbed her arm and gently pulled her away from Emil, heading over to wake up the rest of the _Gladers_.

Emil looked down to the ground in guilt, but he quickly walked away before anyone could see. Leo held Newt's hand as he smiled at her. "Sleep well?"

"I couldn't sleep. I wasn't tired enough," she replied.

"Are you going to need me to carry you?" he asked with a smirk as she smiled.

"Nice try, but I'll manage myself." She squeezed his hand as he pulled her close.

"The offer will be there all night, if you need it."

"Good to know," she replied, giving him a quick peck as they headed over to Thomas' sleeping form.

"Sleep well, Tommy?" he asked as he shook him awake.

"Is your shoulder any better?" Leo asked as Thomas sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Feels really good, actually—aches a little, but not much. Hard to believe I was hurtin' so bad before."

"Feels like we haven't talked much since leaving the bloody dorm. Not much time to sit around and sip tea, I guess."

Leo gave a nod. None of them had spent a lot of time together besides moving through the _Scorch_ in the large group. The only ones who had were Leo and Emil, and that had only been three or four hours ago.

"Yeah."

"We've been moving too much," Leo said.

"I don't see how WICKED can be good," Thomas suddenly said.

"What are you talking about?"

"Huh?"

"Remember what Teresa had written on her arm when she first woke up? Or did you even know about that? It said WICKED is good. I'm just finding that hard to believe."

Well, they just saved your buggin' life."

"Yeah, they're real saints."

"At least you're still alive," Leo said, maybe being too harsh with her words as she thought of the _Gladers_ who had lost their lives in the Scorch.

Brenda sat up from her sleep as she let out a yawn. "Morning. Or evening. Whatever."

"Another day alive," Thomas muttered. "I'm assuming you guys had time to get to know each other? If not, Brenda, this is Newt and Leo. Newt, Leo, Brenda."

"Yeah, we know already." Newt reached out and shook her hand mockingly. "But thanks again for making sure this bloody sissy didn't get his butt killed while you two were out partying."

"Partying. Yeah. I especially loved the part where we had people trying to cut our noses off…Guess it won't be long before I'm one of those psychos."

"You're probably not that much farther along than us. Remember that—"

"Yeah, I know. You guys are gonna take me to the magical cure. I know."

Brenda walked out of the room, Leo following her. Brenda obviously noticed her presence as she sighed, turning her head to look at her.

"Do you really believe in this miracle cure?"

Leo hesitated before she shook her head. "I'm not sure what to believe anymore. Thomas just has more than hope than I do."

"He's got more than most of us." She shrugged her shoulders as she turned herself fully around, facing Leo. "Do you think you'll really survive the _Scorch_?"

"Not a chance in bloody hell."

Brenda gave a smirk, patting her on the shoulder. "I like your honesty. It's a huge change from Thomas' optimism."

"That's why he'll survive to the end and not me. I'm too realistic."

"Being realistic in the _Scorch_ is a good thing. Keep that in mind."

Brenda then walked off and over towards Jorge, leaving Leo with more questions than answers.

…

The sun had just started to set when the _Gladers_ started walking, the mountains becoming larger and larger as they walked closer to them. No one really spoke as they all marched through the _Scorch_.

Newt and Leo made sure to stick together, though Leo would glance back every now and then to make sure Emil knew she was still there for him. He gave her a smile every time she did, and she could tell it made him feel a lot better about himself.

Newt had approached Thomas after darkness and fallen, the stars and the moon being the only light they needed to see. Leo took this chance to move over to Emil and walk beside him. He gave her a genuine smile, one she hadn't seen in months that grew to his eyes. She rustled his hair as they walked, though they didn't share any words.

 _It's too peaceful. Something bad is going to happen._

 **It's too quiet. Too nice. Nothing has attacked us in hours, or the entire day. WICKED would never allow this to happen. They would never allow us to have a peaceful journey to what could potentially be our saviour.**

They're going to kill us tonight. Or someone else will.

Leo eye's widened as she listened to the voices, trying to get rid of them but they wouldn't leave. Emil was having the same trouble as she was, but he suddenly stopped walking. Leo was about to ask what was wrong when she slammed into the back of someone, falling backwards.

She was about to shout at him, but she then noticed what he had stopped for.

The sky was now lighter than before, the edge of the mountains only a hundred meters ahead of them, but that wasn't it.

Halfway between them and the mountains was a girl that had appeared out of nowhere, rising from the ground. She walked at a hurried pace, holding a long wooden shaft with a large blade latched onto one end.

Leo's eyes widened as she stumbled back to her feet.

The girl was Teresa.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SIXTEEN:**

Scorch: The Girls from Group B…

* * *

Day Eight – Part One – The Scorch Trials

The _Gladers_ stopped in their tracks, watching as Teresa continued to march towards them, her hands gripping tight onto the weapon with her face as hard as stone.

She looked ready to stab anyone that moved, and would have no remorse for them or even a shred of emotion.

Thomas took a step forward, but he quickly stopped once he noticed more movement.

"Of course," Leo muttered as she watched as a huge group of girls appeared from both sides of Teresa, seeming to come from nowhere. She took a glance behind her and noticed more girls.

Now they were surrounded by at least twenty girls.

All of them were carrying weapons, such as knives, rusty swords and jagged machetes. Others carried bows and arrows, the arrows aimed right at the group of _Gladers_.

Where had they gotten all those weapons?

Leo gulped as she turned herself around, glancing at each girl's face. Each wore the same hardened glare that Teresa wore, almost as if they were all just robots here to complete a mission.

 _Group B? Is this them?_

 **A large group of girls carrying various types of weapons, and happen to have Teresa with them as their possible leader? It has to be.**

They're going to shoot at any minute. Watch. They kill you without even flinching.

Seeing Teresa there right in front of her holding a weapon made her fear her even more than she had in the _Glade_. Back then, she had figured out her secret and had revealed how she had never liked Leo, and along with knowing so much about them made her seem evil.

Guess Leo wasn't just paranoid.

Teresa stopped about ten meters from them, the group of girls doing the same as they formed a circle around the _Gladers,_ trapping them. If Leo turned her head slightly, she knew one of those girls could shoot her straight through the head with her bow and arrow. She could practically see the tip of the arrow out of the corner of her eye.

"What's this crap about, Teresa?" Minho asked, breaking the silence. Leo couldn't tell if he was brave, stupid, or both, but none of the girls broke their hardened gazes. "Nice way to greet your long-lost buddies."

Brenda sharply turned to Thomas, checking if it was the same girl he had been talking about, which of course it was.

Teresa said nothing as silence crept over them again, making Leo uncomfortable as she gulped. Why did she have to be so creepy?

The sun continued to rise, the heat slowly increasing as Teresa started walking towards them. She stopped about five meters from where Minho and Newt stood, side by side.

"Teresa?" Newt asked. "What the bloody-"

"Shut up," Teresa interrupted. She spoke so calmly that it made her seem even more frightening than if she had simply screamed at him. "And any of you makes a move, the bows start shooting."

Teresa brought up her spear to a fighting position, sweeping it back and forth as she stepped past them, passing through the _Gladers_ as if she was searching for something.

She came towards Brenda and paused. Neither of them said a word, but the tension between the two of them was obvious without it. Teresa moved past her, keeping her ice cold stare until she stood right in front of Leo.

Leo kept her stance, no matter how much she wanted to move backwards, but she knew if she did someone would shoot her within seconds. Teresa looked her up and down, her eyebrows knotting in anger as she took a step forward. Leo had to glance up at her, which made her seem even more intimidating.

Teresa took a slow step to the side before she knocked their shoulders as she walked back to the front, heading towards Thomas.

"Teresa," he whispered. Her muscles tensed, but she didn't move as she continued to stare at him, her face only expressing anger. "Teresa, what's-"

"Shut up." Though it came from Teresa's body, and the voice was exactly the same, all the _Gladers_ knew that it wasn't really Teresa talking. But Leo had always wondered if way she acted in the _Glade_ was simply an act, or whether it was really her or not.

"But what-"

Teresa swung back the spear and smashed his right cheek with the butt of the spear. Thomas crumbled to his knees, pain hitting him instantly as he held a hand to his face.

"I said shut up." She reached down and grabbed him by his shirt, lifting him up until he stood back on his feet. She repositioned her hands on the wooden spear, pointing it at him. "Is your name Thomas?"

Leo's eyes widened. How could Teresa not remember who Thomas was? They could talk to each other in their minds, they had this deep connection that none of the _Gladers_ understood. Now she couldn't remember him?

 _She's gone insane. She's gone insane._

 **WICKED must have done something. They either erased her memories entirely or they forced up into a trick, making her make Thomas believe that she is pure evil.**

This isn't an act. This can't be. She's going to kill us.

The voices didn't help in this situation.

"You know who I-"

She swung the spear again, using even more power as she crashed it into the side of his head, right at his ear. The pain was obvious as he cried out, clutching his head. But he stayed on his feet.

"You know who I am!" He screamed.

"I used to, anyway," she said, her voice laced with disgust but also with a strange softness. "Now I'm going to ask you one more time. Is your name Thomas?"

"Yes! My name is Thomas!"

Teresa nodded, moving away from him slightly, the tip of her blade aimed at his chest. The _Gladers_ moved out of the way as she passed them and joined herself back with the group of girls that surrounded them.

"You're coming with us," she announced. "Thomas. Come on. Remember, anyone tries something, the arrows fly."

"No way!" Minho yelled. "You're not taking him anywhere."

Teresa pretended not to hear as she glanced back at Thomas.

"This isn't some stupid game. I'm going to start counting. Every time I hit a multiple of five, we'll kill one of you with an arrow. We'll do it until Thomas is the only one left, then we'll take him anyway. It's up to you."

Leo looked around the circle, noticing one of the girls staring straight at her with squinted eyes. There was something strange about her, there was no doubt. She didn't look as feminine as the others.

"One!" Teresa shouted. Thomas didn't hesitate as he walked forward, pushing past the _Gladers_ until he reached the open, heading straight for Teresa.

"Thomas! What are you doing?" Minho shouted.

"Don't listen to her!" Newt yelled.

Thomas ignored them as he continued for her, standing almost nose to nose with her. "Fine. Take me."

"I only made it to one."

"Yeah. I'm really brave that way."

Teresa didn't appreciate the sarcastic humour as she slammed his jaw with the spear. He fell to the ground, spitting out blood.

"Bring the bag," she announced, gesturing to two girls. They hid their weapons as they grabbed the bag.

One of them was a dark skinned girl with her hair cut almost to her scalp. The other was a blonde haired girl with her hair in a long ponytail.

They stopped right in front of him as he got to his hands and knees.

"We're taking him with us!" Teresa yelled. "If anybody follows, I'll hit him again and we'll start shooting you. We won't really bother aiming. Just let the arrows fly any old way they feel like."

"Teresa!" Minho screamed. "You catch the _Flare_ that quickly? Your mind's obviously gone already."

Teresa swung and smashed the butt of the spare into the back of Thomas' head, making him collapse onto his stomach.

"Anything else you wanna say?" she asked. Silence crept over the _Gladers_ , much to her delight. "Didn't think so. Put the bag over him."

The two girls from before roughly grabbed hold of him, spinning him onto his back. Thomas moaned as they hovered over him, the open end of the sack directly above him.

"Don't resist," the dark-skinned girl said. "Or it'll get worse. Better just to go along and let us kill you. Doesn't do you any good to have a lot of pain along the way."

They slipped the bag over his head. They shifted him on the ground until they got the bag slipped over his entire body, tying the open end at his feet with a rope.

"Teresa! Don't do this to me!" he screamed through the bag. She drove a fist straight into his stomach, making him groan.

"Since you obviously don't care about yourself," Teresa started, "talk again and we'll start shooting your friends. That sound good to you?"

Thomas didn't say anything, only letting out a sob.

"I mean what I said! There won't be a warning. Follow us and the arrows start flying." She grabbed his head through the material and placed her mouth beside what they assumed was his ear. She whispered something to him, making the other girls curious.

"What're you saying to him?" the blonde haired girl asked.

"I'm letting him know just how much I'm enjoying this. How much I'm enjoying my revenge. Do you mind?"

"Well, glad you're having so much fun. But we need to hurry."

"I know." She gripped the sides of Thomas' head, pressing her mouth against the material again and whispering something else. She quickly released him as she stood up. "Okay, let's get out of here. Make sure you hit as many rocks as you can along the way."

"Teresa, hold on," the strange girl from before announced, still staring straight at Leo.

"What is it, Jezebel?" Teresa asked as she looked over to them, pushing through the crowd until she stood beside her.

"I think I found her. The Deceiver."

Leo's eyes widened as she took a step back.

 _They know. They know. Oh god, they know._

 **How could they have figured it out? Is it because they are all girls and therefore know what a girl would look like? Or did this one kid get told more than they let on?**

You're dead. You're so dead. They're going to kill you.

Teresa took a step forward until she stood nose to nose with Leo, staring into her eyes. She reached her hand up, grabbing hold of her wig. Leo screamed as Teresa roughly ripped it off her head, dragging the pins across the skin on her neck.

Leo screamed bloody murder as she clutched onto her bleeding neck, falling to the ground as the blood slowly creeped down her neck and through her shirt.

She heard the _Gladers_ all gasp, and only then did she realise what had happened.

They had ripped her wig off. She could see it in Teresa's hands, the pins clattering on the ground. Teresa chucked the wig down onto the ground as she roughly grabbed hold of Leo's arm, pulling her back onto her feet.

"So, you're the Deceiver after all," Teresa said, circling around her as tears started to fill in Leo's eyes.

The _Gladers_ went into whispers and murmurs, all in disbelief and shock.

"Holy _shuck_ ," she heard Frypan mutter.

Emil's eyes widened. He had figured out there was something different about her, but seeing it in the flesh made it even more shocking.

Leo found it hard to breathe as her hair reached just underneath her shoulders. She felt like her body was shaking as she felt her legs give out, collapsing onto the ground. Her secret had been revealed.

"Get on your feet! Now!" Teresa commanded calmly, as she slammed the butt of her spear into Leo's cheek. She cried out in pain as she tried to get to her feet, but her legs were too weak.

Newt took a step forward, ready to help her before Teresa pointed the spear right at him. "You help her, and her blood will stain this dirt and it will be all your fault."

"What the _shuck_ is wrong with you?" Minho screamed, voicing what Newt wished to say.

Teresa didn't listen as she grabbed hold of Leo's natural hair, forcing her to lift her head up. Tears poured from her eyes as she tried to breathe, her fingers tingling from the lack of oxygen. "On. Your. Feet."

She yanked her up by her hair, making Leo scream as she was back on her feet. She could hear Newt's anger mutters as he had to be held back by the others.

Many of the _Gladers_ wanted to question what was going on. She was a girl? How? Why? But they couldn't say anything, unless they wanted to watch their friend and fellow _Glader_ beaten to death.

"Name? Subject? Title?" Teresa asked.

Leo took a shallow and fast breath before she choked out the words, "Leo, Subject A-21…"

Teresa hit her again with the butt of her spear, making her cough up a tiny splutter of blood. "Title."

"T-The Deceiver…"

Teresa gave a sickening smirk as she finally let Leo fall to the ground, turning back to Jezebel with a nod. "You know the deal."

Jezebel walked forward, dropping her weapon as she stood in the middle of the Gladers, staring forward. "She's your hostage. We take Leo over here, and you can take Jezebel, our resident male _Glader_ disguised as a female."

Jezebel took the long, strawberry blonde wig off her head to reveal short, dark brown hair. He didn't seem as worried about revealing his secret as she had been. None of _Group B_ seemed to be bothered or surprised by it either.

"We don't want some stupid kid!" Minho yelled.

"Give her back to us," Newt said as calmly as he could, trying to take a step forward.

Teresa sighed as she turned her spear around, the blade only centimetres from stabbing Leo in-between the eyes. "You want to continue?"

Newt and Minho looked at each other, devastation written on their faces as they knew what they had to do. They had to let them take her.

Teresa gave a nod as she slowly took the blade away. She looked over at Newt, noticing the pain and anger in his eyes as he stared down at Leo. She quickly lunged and stabbed Leo right in the shoulder.

Leo's screams of agony seemed to sound through the entire Scorch, echoing off the surrounding buildings as blood seeped through the wound. Teresa removed the spear from Leo's shoulder as she wiped the blood off.

"Tie her up. We're going."

Leo collapsed onto the ground, lying on her stomach as she felt like the energy was leaving her body. She could hear Newt's screams of protest, but the girls ignored him as two other girls came up with long pieces of rope. They seemed hesitant, almost as I they hadn't planned for this.

But they couldn't defy Teresa's orders.

The blood poured out onto the ground as the girls roughly grabbed her arms, pushing them to her back as they tied her wrists together, the rope burning her skin and cutting her circulation.

They did the same with her ankles, along with wrapping a rope around her neck so that once she recovered, they could drag her around like a dog. She felt tears falling down her cheeks as black filled her vision, the sounds surrounding her seeming duller and almost non-existent.

She felt someone swing her over their shoulder right before she heard a voice. The girl then dropped Leo back down onto the ground as they grabbed hold of the rope around her neck, pulling as they dragged her across the ground.

She heard Thomas groan, as he was dragged alongside her, right before she fell unconscious from the pain.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:**

Scorch: The Girls from Group B… (Part Two)

* * *

[Group B: Thomas and Leo]

Day Eight - Part Two - The Scorch Trials

She had no idea how long she had been dragged on the ground by two of the girls, but she figured long enough for the others to lose their trail. She glanced down at her body every now and then, noticing some tears in her clothing, dried blood surrounding the scratches from the rocks.

Her shoulder felt numb as she remembered what had happened. She had been stabbed, but luckily the blood had stopped pouring. One of the girls seemed to be like a _Med Jack_ as she had patched up her wound enough that she would survive, at least until they decided to kill her.

 _Why are they keeping us alive for so long?_

 **Maybe they're going to torture us first, maybe keep injuring us till the brink of death and then healing us back to health before doing the same thing?**

Just kill us! Please, kill us already!

She felt lightheaded as the pain came back as her shoulder hit a sharp rock. She hissed out in pain, but luckily it hadn't started bleeding again. She closed her eyes as the rope burned around her neck, making her cough and splutter every now and then when Teresa demanded the girl tighten her grip on the rope.

She glanced over at Thomas, wondering what was happening to him. The bag still remained over his head, making him practically blind. He couldn't see the objects as they hit him, but he didn't seem to mind.

Maybe he had given up and just accepted that he was going to die.

Leo saw what seemed like a mountain right in front of them as Teresa started walking up the steep slope. The other girls followed, but it was obvious how some of them were struggling to drag Leo and Thomas up the hill. They pulled in quick jerks, making her choke, before they let the two of them slide several feet back down, then trying to pull them back up.

"Enough," Teresa said, and the girls sighed in relief as they stopped walking. "This isn't working. Just carry them, by their shoulders and ankles."

"But we'd-" one of the girls started.

"I know, you'd get tired. That's why we take it in turns to carry them."

"Why don't you just let me walk?" Thomas yelled through the burlap bag, his voice muffled and cracked. "I mean, you do have weapons. What am I gonna do?"

Teresa calmly walked over and kicked him in his side. "Shut up, Thomas. We're not idiots. We're waiting until your _Glader_ buddies can't see us anymore."

"They already promised not to follow us though," Leo muttered, coughing as the rope rubbed against her neck.

"Huh? Why?" Thomas asked.

"Because that's what we were told to do. Now shut up!"

"Why did you tell them that?" one of the girls whispered to her, her eyes widened.

"What does it matter? We're gonna kill them anyway. Who cares if they know what we were told to do."

 _Told? They must have been told by WICKED._

 **Does that mean that this is all just an act and that once they can't see the Gladers anymore, they'll let us free?**

They'll kill us. Just end our bloody suffering!

"Well, I can barely see them now," another girl said. "Once we reach that crevice up there, we'll be out of sight and they'll never find us after that. Even if they do follow."

"All right, then. Let's just get them that far."

One of the girls bent down and detached the rope from around Leo's neck, the mark around her neck a combination of red, purple and dark blue. "Geez," the girl muttered before she grabbed hold of Leo's legs. She lifted Leo up with the help of another girl, but the other girl let go and chucked Leo over the first girl's shoulder.

"Am I too heavy?" Leo whispered to the girl, noticing that Teresa and three other girls had to carry Thomas.

"I built things for a living. I'm fine," she whispered, taking quick glances over at Teresa, worried she might catch them talking.

Teresa didn't notice though as she was too preoccupied with Thomas.

"Why am I here? Thomas was the only one to be killed by you guys."

The girl shook her head as they started walking. "Until recently. Special orders. But we were told not to kill you." She looked over at Teresa again, noticing the hardened look on her face. "She's the one that wants to kill you."

Leo went silent for a minute, also looking over at Teresa. She already knew that Teresa didn't like her, especially since she basically said to her face, but it had never crossed her mind that Teresa would actually kill her.

But maybe she had planned it all along but WICKED made her wait?

"Why are you being nice to me?" Leo whispered again.

The girl sighed. "You really think I want to kidnap some strange girl and beat her to death? I've got more humanity than that."

Neither said another word as the group hiked up the mountain. It seemed like an hour had passed, with the occasional stops as the girls switched duties. But the girl holding Leo never switched.

"I've got this one," was all she said in regards to it.

Teresa only shrugged, not to bothered by not having to carry Leo.

The sun seemed to be getting closer to them, the heat becoming slightly hotter as they kept going up the mountain. But they moved towards a massive wall on the side, the ground levelling a little and entered the shade.

The cool air was a relief, but it also made her shiver from the sudden change.

"All right, drop them," Teresa commanded.

The girls holding Thomas didn't hesitate as they dropped him, his body slamming into the ground as he grunted, the wind getting knocked out of him.

The girl holding Leo turned her head with a sorry glance before she dropped her, making Leo hit the ground hard on her stomach. She gasped for air as she felt the ropes from around her legs and arms loosen, before they eventually fell to the ground.

She lifted herself up slightly, reaching to rub her rope burned ankles and wrists as she winced. She felt like the blood was rushing back to her as she felt them tingling.

Once she looked back, she noticed _Group B_ and Teresa had all their weapons pointed straight at the two of them, but Thomas didn't seem scared.

"You guys must think a lot of us, twenty of you with knives and machetes, us with nothing. I feel so special. Don't you Leo?" he asked.

Leo shook her head, feeling her anxiety slowly building up in the pit of her stomach.

Teresa raised her spear up, ready to slam the end into him.

"Wait!" he yelled, and she stopped. He held his hands up in defence, slowly getting back to his feet. "Look, I'm not gonna try anything. Just take me wherever we're going and then I'll let you kill me like a good boy. I don't have any shuck thing to live for anyway. But let Leo go. I'm the one you want to kill, not her."

Leo's eyes widened. He had put so much spite into his words as he stared straight at Teresa, hoping that this would work.

"Come on," she said. "I'm sick of this. Let's get to the inside of the Pass so we can sleep the day off. Tonight we'll start heading through."

"And what about these two we've been hauling around for the last few hours?" the girl with dark skin asked.

"Don't worry, we'll kill them. We'll kill them just the way they told us to. It's his punishment for what he did to me."

 _What? Stuck by your side the entire time? Saved your life? Convinced everyone that you weren't a traitor?_

 **Was there more going on between them than they let on? Are they dating or something?**

Entitled bitch! Kill her! Kill her!

Leo's eyes widened as she looked over at Thomas, but his face said the same as hers. What had he done to make her want to kill him? He looked over at her, wondering if she could answer him but she had no answer.

"Get up. We're going now," Teresa commanded as she started walking.

The rest of _Group B_ looked at each other before they started walking, some staying behind to make sure Thomas and Leo left with them.

Thomas grabbed hold of Leo's hand as he helped her stand, following the others. She could feel the looks of the girls behind them as they held their weapons tightly.

"Is your shoulder alright?" Thomas asked as he glanced at the wound. A huge patch of dried blood surrounded it, but luckily it hadn't gone too deep to kill her.

"It's fine. I think. I can't really feel it anymore," she said as she moved her hand towards it.

Thomas gave a nod, knowing the feeling from the bullet that had pierced his shoulder a few days ago.

"What do they want from you? You're not supposed to be here?" Thomas whispered, noticing the girls walking closer to them to make sure they weren't making any escape plans.

"Last minute orders from WICKED," she whispered. "But I'm not supposed to die. Teresa decided to try and kill me though."

Her legs started to burn as they walked uphill, a cliff to their left keeping them in the shade as they continued to walk. Everything around them was red, brown and boiling hot. Dry. Dusty.

The girls were kind enough to kill each of them a few sips of water to make sure they didn't die from dehydration, but it didn't seem to do much as their throats still felt dry.

"I'm sorry," was the last thing Thomas said to her before they both went quiet, reaching a large hole in the east wall. The sun seemed to rise over the wall, the light blinding her for a second as its hot beams burned her skin.

They entered the shallow cave, which went twelve meters into the mountain. This was _Group B_ 's camp, where they had probably been hiding for a few days.

They were blankets tossed around, the ashes of a burnt-out fire and some trash piled up around the edges. There were three people inside the cave when they entered, which meant that most of them had gone to kidnap Thomas, and also ended up taking Leo along with them.

Two of the girls had spoken to them along the way, but they only told them their names. The dark-skinned girl was named Harriet and she seemed to have been the leader before Teresa took over. The other was named Sonya, who had long, reddish-blonde hair. She seemed to be what Newt had been to Alby – the second in command. It seemed like she was staring at the female versions of Newt and Alby.

Which meant that boy disguised as a girl was supposed to be the male version of her. She felt a shiver go up her spine at the thought.

"Okay," Teresa said, breaking the silence. "Let's tie him to that ugly tree." She pointed over at a white oak tree, the roots clinging to the soil even though the tree had been dead for at least three years. "And we might as well feed him so he doesn't moan and groan all day and keep us awake."

"What about the girl?" Harriet asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't you remember instructions?"

Harriet nodded, looking over at Leo who pretty much looked like death.

 _No food for us huh? This is just getting ridiculous._

 **If she hates us so much, why doesn't she just kill us already? Or does making us suffer give her some kind of sick pleasure?**

Please! We're begging you! Just kill us!

Thomas didn't fight as they tied his torso to the trunk of the tree, leaving his hands free so he could get a few granola bars and a bottle of water. Leo moved to sit down beside him, hoping she wouldn't have to suffer much longer.

Thomas tried to offer her one of his granola bars, but Teresa smacked his hand and commanded that Leo be left to starve.

"Why aren't you tying her up?" one of the girls asked Teresa as they ate.

"She's got mental issues. She's crazy. She's too timid to leave."

That was all Teresa said as she continued to eat and drink, seeming to smirk anytime she glanced over at the starving Leo.

Leo held her stomach in pain, the hunger eating at her again. She felt like she was back in the rescue room, where they suffered without food for three days. She felt like she was going to go insane.

She felt her hands starting to shake as tears built up in her eyes. No more than in that moment when she thought of dying. She hiccupped as she tried to keep it down, but it was impossible as she started to break down. She covered her mouth with her hand as she felt the tears slipping down her cheeks. She tried to breathe through her nose, but it didn't work as she had to take her hand off her mouth to breathe.

She hyperventilated as she felt herself becoming lightheaded, her fingers tingling from the lack of oxygen. She felt her chest aching as her hands started to sweat.

"What the hell's wrong with her?" one of the girls asked as she rushed over, checking to make sure she was alright.

"I told you. She's crazy."

Thomas reached out to try and help her calm down, but Teresa aimed the spear at Leo's head. "Leave her. She can deal with it herself."

Thomas slowly moved his hand back down to his sides as Teresa nodded, removing the spear as she walked back to her original spot.

The girl closest to her seemed to be a _Med Jack_ as she inspected her. "Is she always like this?" she asked Thomas, who gave a nod.

"Only one to calm her down is Newt," he replied.

"Well, he's not here, is he? She needs to deal with this herself. She can't have everyone babying her all the time," Teresa commented as she ordered the girl to leave Leo alone.

Not wanting to defy orders, the girl sighed as she moved away, leaving Leo by herself in her panicked state.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't speak. She couldn't move.

She felt like she was going to die.

"Just knock her out already," Teresa said as she walked over, holding the spear in her hands. She walked behind Leo, who didn't notice as she tried to breathe, right as Teresa slammed the butt of the spear into the back of her head.

Leo's eyes widened as she felt the wind being knocked from her as she fell forward, her eyes closing as she felt like the ground was spinning. It didn't take her long before she fell unconscious from the pain, the rest of _Group B_ just watching as Teresa walked back to her spot and continued to eat.

…

She opened her eyes again as the first thing she saw was Thomas' concerned face. "You're awake," was all he said before he got shushed by someone.

She tried to sit up, but felt a sharp, throbbing pain in the back of her head. She reached for it as she whimpered in pain, slowly pushing herself up to lean against the side of the tree.

She noticed that the girls had gotten ready for bed, laying out pallets for them to sleep. They kept sneaking glances at the two of them. Shame? Guilt? She hoped that maybe her delusional state of mind didn't just imagine those glances.

Thomas placed his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. He didn't know how to help her, he had never seen her go through one of those properly, and they had never gotten that bad because Newt was always there to help.

He wished he could so something.

Instead, he turned to the girls surrounding him. "You guys don't really wanna kill us, do you?" he asked. "Have you ever even killed anyone before?"

Harriet glared at him, stopping right before she laid her head down on the group of blankets. She propped herself onto her elbow.

"Based on what Teresa told us, we escaped our _Maze_ three days faster than your group did. Lost fewer people and killed more _Grievers_ to do it. I think knocking off one little insignificant teenage boy won't be too tough."

"A _Griever_ is different from a person," Leo said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Think of the guilt you'll feel," Thomas said.

"We'll get over it." She stuck her tongue out at him, like an immature child as she put her head down and closed her eyes.

Sonya sat on the blankets. "We don't have a choice. WICKED said that was our only task. If we don't do it, they won't let us in at the _Safe Haven_. We'll die out here in the _Scorch_."

Thomas shrugged. "Hey, I understand. Sacrifice me to save yourselves. Very noble."

"Thomas, shut up," Leo whispered to him, but he didn't drop his gaze from Sonya.

Sonya looked away and laid down with her back to him.

Teresa walked over to the two of them, her face filled with annoyance. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Nothing," Harriet mumbled. "Tell him to shut up."

"Shut up," Teresa repeated.

Thomas gave a sarcastic laugh. "What're you gonna do, kill me if I don't?"

Teresa didn't say anything, but she continued to look at him.

"Why do you hate me all of a sudden? What did I do to you?"

"You know what you did," she said. "So does everyone here – I told them all about it. But even still, I wouldn't have sunk to your level and tried to kill you. We're only doing that because we have no choice. Sorry. Life's tough."

"What are you talking about, sink to my level? I'd never kill a friend to save my own butt. Never."

"Me neither. Which is why I'm glad we're not friends."

"So what'd I do to you?" he asked quickly. "Sorry, I'm kind of having a memory lapse – ya know, we have those a lot around here. Remind me."

"Don't insult me. Don't you dare sit there and act like nothing happened. Now shut up or I'll give you another bruise on that pretty face of yours."

"Bullshit!" Leo growled, finally tired of Teresa's bitch act. "He hasn't done anything to you. WICKED's just brainwashed you into thinking so. What bloody crap are you trying to pull, huh?"

"Shut up!" Teresa yelled as she slammed the butt of the spear into her stomach. Leo groaned as she held onto her already sore stomach.

Teresa stomped away, leaving the two of them in silence. Thomas shifted as he leaned his back on the bark of the tree. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her again before he tried to fall asleep.

"There's nothing that can be done," Leo whispered as she closed her eyes, hoping that when she would wake up tomorrow, it would all be a bad dream and that she would be able to see Newt and the others again.

…

[Group A: Newt and Mino]

The two looked at the boy from _Group B_ , the long, strawberry blonde wig on the ground beside him. He was looking down at the dark brown wig that Leo had been wearing before it had been ripped off her head.

"Huh? Similar to my hairstyle," Jezebel muttered.

Minho reached forward, grabbing him by his shirt. "Listen here shank. You better tell us what the shuck is going on here, before I snap your _shucking_ neck."

"Minho, we need him alive," Newt said as he grabbed hold of Minho's wrist. "If he dies, we'll never find them."

"Teresa never mentioned you had such a hot temper," Jezebel said, not intimidated by Minho's harsh glare.

"Start talking. Now." Minho let go of his shirt and dropped him down to the ground. He held a weapon in his other hand, ready to strike if necessary.

"Fine, fine. Where do you want me to start?"

"Why did they take them? Why did they take Leo?" Newt asked.

"Last minute orders from WICKED. Kidnap the _Deceiver_ , beat and torture her but keep her alive. She's their experiment."

"Experiment for what?" Emil asked as he poked his head from around Frypan.

"To see how much pressure she can handle before she snaps…Hey, wasn't there another little boy with you guys? Small. Dark hair."

The _Gladers_ quickly looked around. "Where did Aris go?" Minho asked as he looked all around them.

"Maybe he went to the bathroom?" Clint asked, shrugging.

"You guys were supposed to keep an eye on him. He could have been a spy for WICKED, or working with _Group B_."

"He was in our _Maze_ ," Jezebel said. "He could have gone after them."

"Bloody hell," Newt muttered.

"On second thought, you're taking us to their hideout. And if you don't, I have a knife with your name written all over it," Minho said with a smirk.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:**

Scorch: Jezebel – Subject B-21 – The Assistant

* * *

Day Nine – The Scorch Trials

He felt like he had been walking for hours, but in reality only twenty minutes had gone past. It all looked the same to him, and that made him feel even more empty.

Finally, Minho had ordered everyone to take a break, as most of the others were becoming delirious from the sun now beating down on them. Jezebel took this opportunity as he lied down on the ground, closing his eyes to block out the harsh rays from the sun.

The others noticed him and quickly moved as far away as they possibly could, but where they could still see him.

But he didn't mind.

He much preferred to be by himself anyway, especially since he had been ditched by his group to be stuck with a bunch of boys he had never met before. He wondered if they were actually going to kill The Deceiver, or whether that was just another part of Teresa's game.

She wasn't even from their _Maze_ , and yet she controlled all of them in less than five minutes. It was like she had so much authority about her, like she was better than everyone else here.

Jezebel gave a deep sigh, remembering his times back in the _Maze_ before the _Scorch_. He had been so happy then. He was a _Runner_ , and sometimes he would work with the _Track Hoes_ if they had little numbers. He had made such great friendships and he had even fallen in love with one of the girls there.

He shook his head, not wanting to remember her face. It had been so long since he had seen her face, he wondered if she even looked the same.

She had been beautiful.

But she couldn't go through the _Flat Trans_ with them.

They left her behind.

Why couldn't they have convinced her to go with them? Why did they have to leave her to die by the hands of WICKED?

He opened his eyes, glancing over at the other boys. Some of them were still dealing with the shocking news that Leo had been a girl in disguise. He wondered how none of them had noticed the whole time, he thought it was pretty obvious that she was a girl. But maybe that was because he was a boy disguising as a girl.

But he knew Leo had noticed something had been off about him.

He obviously felt guilty for what he did. He ratted out her secret and Teresa got her hands on her, beating her to what seemed to be a bloody pulp. But did he really want to face the consequences of not listening to WICKED?

Death? Punishment?

Whatever it would have been, he knew he didn't want it.

He closed his eyes again as he tried to force himself to sleep, hoping that maybe this was all just a bad dream and that he would wake up back inside the _Maze_ , with her. With Maria.

But maybe he was just too delusional to realise how that would never happen.

She was probably dead by now.

He would never see her again.

…

He lied down inside the _Maze_ , the cold concrete ground running up his spine as he stared up at the shining sun in the sky. His backpack was beside him, papers scattered across the ground as the wind started to pick them up.

"Stop being so dramatic," a voice said, the voice sweet like honey. The girl gave a laugh as she stood above him, her brown hair reaching down to her waist.

He felt a smile forming on his face, finally seeing her face again. It had been so long since he had dreamed about her, the sight of her blue eyes and rosy cheeks almost made him cry.

He couldn't say anything. He tried to open his mouth, but his body wouldn't listen. He continued to lie there, no matter how hard he tried to move his arm or at least his fingers.

She held her hand out to him, waiting for him to grab her hand. "You're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to a Runner," she said jokingly, but he knew that there was a hint of seriousness in there.

Even the scar on the bottom of her lip made him tear up. He had just missed her so much. He slowly reached his hand out for her, but his hand passed straight through hers, his heart sinking to his feet.

"Jezebel? Please, just leave me!" she suddenly screamed, slamming his body down. Even though he was on the ground, he still felt like he was falling, and only then did he realise why.

She had pushed him through the _Flat Trans_ , leaving her behind.

He screamed as he reached his hand out again for her, but it was too late as his entire body was sucked into the shimmery grey floor.

And then he woke up.

…

"Hey, _shank_ , get up," Minho said as he kicked the boy in the side of his stomach, his hands on his hips.

Jezebel opened his eyes, noticing how wet and strange his face felt. He went to rub his eyes, only to find dried up tears on his cheeks. He thought he had stopped crying in his sleep, but he guessed it never really stopped.

"You're telling us everything you know. Right now. I don't care how long it takes, or how much you need to say. You're going to tell us."

He pushed himself up to sit, staring up at both Minho and Newt standing in front of him.

"Know about what?" he asked, dusting his back off as he stood up. Even when he was standing, he was still shorter than them.

"WICKED. Leo. Teresa. All of it," Newt said, the anger evident in his eyes.

 _That's right, those two are dating aren't they?_ Jezebel thought as he looked down at his hands, guilt overwhelming him. _Poor bastard._

"Start talking," Minho commanded, and Jezebel gave a nod.

"We had been told by WICKED that we had to find a guy name Thomas and kill him. That was our only task to complete, and then we could get the cure for the Flare…Teresa suddenly appeared in our Group and she took leadership, saying she needed to personally kill Thomas and get her 'revenge'."

"Revenge for what?" Newt asked. "What did Tommy do?"

Jezebel shrugged his shoulders, glad they were taking his mind away from his dream. "No one knows. She wouldn't tell us anything. And then a few hours before we figured out where you were, someone from WICKED came down from something called the _Berg_. They ordered us to also take the Deceiver, who was disguised as something. Didn't say who it was, or what they were disguised as, but all they mentioned was the title 'The Deceiver'. And Teresa was way too happy about that."

"Happy? Happy to see Leo?" Minho asked.

"Teresa never liked Leo, there's no way she would be bloody happy to see her," Newt said as he rolled his eyes. He had always had doubts about Teresa, especially since Leo seemed to fear her so much, but Thomas had always convinced him that there was nothing to fear.

He wondered how much Thomas wanted to eat up those words.

Jezebel shook his head. "Happy to beat her up, kill her. Whatever she wanted. Our Group protested, we didn't want to have to kill someone else. We didn't want WICKED to make us their puppets, make us kill people off for their sick twisted games. But…"

"Where are they now?" Newt interrupted. "Did you guys have a hideout or something? Anything?"

He nodded. "The _Pass_."

"What the shucking hell is the _Pass_?" Minho asked, folding his arms.

"All our stuff is there. Supplies. Weapons. All that kind of stuff. You _sticks_ better not steal our stuff when we get there, you got it?"

"Whatever makes you happy, _shank_."

Jezebel looked down at his hands again, noticing Newt's hardened gaze. He must have been thinking about Leo. Where she was, what was happening to her, if she was even still alive.

"We weren't supposed to kill her," he whispered to him, making Newt snap out of his thoughts. "Only harm her enough for her to snap at us, maybe hurt us back. No severe damage. No death. Just a few cuts and scratches. But Teresa…" He shook his head. "She took matters into her own hands."

"Why did they want her to snap? Why is she their experiment? Aren't we all their experiments?" Newt whispered back. Minho got the hint and walked away, going over to the other boys to instruct them on what was to happen.

"We are, but she's special. I don't know why, but WICKED are keeping a close eye on her, and that other small boy in your group. There's something about them they're looking for, testing, analysing. Something that we might not have."

He reached his hand out and placed it on Newt's shoulder. "We'll get back from Teresa. I promise you she'll still be alive. The others won't let Teresa kill her, and neither will WICKED. They'll step in."

"I hope your bloody right _shank_ …"

…

The _Gladers_ , with the addition of Jezebel, starting walking again. Jezebel led the way, with Minho beside him, keeping a close eye on him. But Jezebel didn't mind, he would have done the same thing if some strange boy and their group had just taken one of his friends.

He could hear the conversations of the other boys, some talking about Thomas and others about Leo, but they all mentioned Teresa in them. She had been from their _Maze_ , had helped them defeat the _Grievers_ and escape the _Maze_. She had been considered one of them, even if some didn't completely trust her.

And then she stabbed them in the back and took two of their friends.

 _No wonder she's called the Betrayer,_ he thought bitterly. He wondered how his friends were handling her. Were they defying her, or were they simply just obeying whatever she commanded? He wished they were standing up to her, defending the two hostages and putting her in her place. But he knew deep down that some of them weren't brave enough, especially after seeing Teresa stab Leo through the shoulder without any remorse or emotion.

God, he hated her guts. Even when she first showed up.

…

"Where's Aris? This is his room?" Harriet asked as she stepped inside the room, seeing the black haired girl sitting on the bed.

"What are you talking about? This is my room," she answered, standing up as she looked at the massive group of girls standing in the entrance of the door.

"No, the name on the door says Aris. He's our friend," Sonya said as she took a step closer, inspecting the girl. "You didn't do anything to him, did you?"

"I haven't even heard of this kid, how could I have done something to him?" The girl sighed. "Look, I was placed in this room last night and slept in here the entire night. No boys came in here. Nothing."

Harriet groaned. "Great, just when we thought something would go right in this place."

"Look, I'm sorry that I'm not your friend, but you guys need to leave. I would like to have a little more sleep if that's okay with you."

"What's your name? Who are you?" Jezebel asked, interrupting her.

"Teresa…You're from _Group B_ , aren't you?" she asked, starling the others in the room.

"How did you know?" Sonya asked.

"Who the hell are you? How do you know anything about us, you _stick_?" Harriet demanded.

"I told you, I'm Teresa. And I know who you are because you need my help."

"Help with what?" Jezebel asked.

"We don't need your help with anything," Harriet growled.

"Calm down," one of the girls from the back said as she placed a hand on Harriet's arm.

"You do need my help. You need me to help you kill someone."

"Kill? You're not serious?" Sonya asked.

"We're not murders."

"She's insane."

"We need to get out of here and find Aris."

"You expect us to kill someone?"

"Would you all be quiet for just one second?" Teresa yelled. Once it went silent, she nodded and gave a fake smile. "Thank you. I don't expect you to kill someone, WICKED does. And you need me to help you find him."

"And how are we supposed to believe anything you say?" Jezebel asked.

A knock on the door startled them, making them all turn around. The door slowly opened, revealing a man dressed in an all-white suit, even with white shoes. His face resembled something like a rat, and the indifferent look on his face made them suspicious.

"Because I'm from WICKED," the man said as he shut the door.

…

"Dude, stop daydreaming," Minho said as he smacked his arm, waking him up from his memory.

"Sorry," Jezebel muttered as he shook his head, physically trying to push his other thoughts out of his head.

"What was that about?" Newt asked as he limped up to them, confusion written all over his face.

"Nothing. It was nothing," Jezebel said as he started walking again.

"This guys really weird," Minho muttered to Newt, which earnt him a glare.

"I don't think you can talk," Newt said to him as he gave him a smirk.

"Have you stolen my sense of humour or something?"

A smile cracked on Jezebel's face, but it quickly vanished once he noticed that the sun was starting to set, and they still were nowhere near the Pass. He had really thought they would make it before night fell.

Maybe he was too optimistic?

The sky started to fade into a dull grey and a sigh took over him. Clearly, from the sounds of Minho in the background, he thought the same thing.

They might not make it in time to save Thomas' life.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER NINETEEN:**

Scorch: Conversations with the Enemy…

* * *

Day Ten – The Scorch Trials

She walked through the empty street, though this time she wore no white dress. She was dressed in a long black dress and black shoes, her hair cascading just over her shoulder as she looked around.

She was dressed as if she was going to a funeral.

She took a step forward, the sun not affecting her anymore. She was used to the sun's harsh rays, even in her own dreams. The silence in the street set her on edge, uneasiness overwhelming her as she continued down the bloodied and cracked path.

She made sure there were no Cranks surrounding or following her as she reached one of the abandoned buildings. Windows smashed. Door filled with scratch marks. Blood on the walls.

She wondered why she was intrigued by this one specific building, but she couldn't control her hand as it moved to the door and pushed it open. Her feet took robotic steps inside the building, her brain racing as it tried to piece together what was happening to her.

Had WICKED taken control of her in her own dreams?

Or was this a dream implanted in her by them and she was just supposed to be observing?

The building was pitch black, but her body seemed to know where every chair, table and other items were as she dodged them with ease. Her footsteps echoed through the single story building, probably notifying whatever might have been in here.

She continued to walk until she reached another room, which seemed to be some kind of dining area. Her hand reached out and touched the cold bench, her fingers becoming covered in dust.

This place must have been abandoned for a long time. Couple of years?

"Why are you showing me this?" she voiced, knowing that WICKED were behind all of this. "What do you want from me?"

No answer, of course. Her hand swiped across the bench until it bumped into something. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, she could make out some kind of shape sitting on the bench. It was circular.

Her head shook by itself as her hand moved up slightly, placing its hand on another object. Whatever she was touching now was sitting on some kind of plate or placemat. The object seemed long and oval shaped. As her hand traced the object, she came towards the end.

She felt a sharp stab of pain go through her finger as she retracted her hand back, holding it close to her body. She could feel a trick of blood drip down her finger. She had stabbed herself on the end of the object.

Suddenly, lights turned on in the house, even though she knew that most buildings had lost power many years ago because of the disease. She squinted her eyes as the bright light stung, causing her to blink as her eyes watered.

She hissed in pain from her finger as she tried to figure out what she had pricked herself on. Her eyes slowly could make out a long, big syringe filled with a strange, bright blue liquid.

She panicked, thinking that it was the _Serum_ from inside the _Maze_. She hoped that it wouldn't cause any of the side effects that it did with the _Changing_.

There was writing on the syringe, but she couldn't make it out as her body started to feel weak, her eyes slowly closing on their own. Whatever the blue liquid was, it was making her go unconscious.

Almost like an anaesthetic.

She felt her legs give out as she collapsed to the ground, her back slamming against the ground and it made her groan in pain. She could feel whatever the liquid was flowing through her veins, seeming to replace her blood flow with the liquid.

She felt herself going numb, but it seemed pleasurable in a way. It seemed to cloud her mind, making her entire body relax. A smile made its way to her face as she gave a sigh of relief. She was able to open her eyes as she just stared at the ceiling.

Her thoughts stopped and whatever nervousness or anxiety she might have felt had been replaced by a numb, relaxing nothing. It was like she was floating on air. She actually thanked WICKED in her mind for whatever the liquid was.

That's how drugged up she must have been…

…

She opened her eyes, noticing the dull grey sky forming as the sun began to set. Her racing thoughts and constant worries came back instantly, and she really missed the feeling of whatever the liquid gave her.

Maybe she had already become addicted to it.

She sat herself up, noticing that Thomas was just starting to stir, opening his eyes and staring at the setting sun. She only then noticed the two people sitting in front of them, staring at them.

It was Harriet and Sonya.

"Good evening," Thomas spoke first. "Can we help you ladies?"

"We want to know what you know," Harriet responded quickly.

"Why should we help you?"

"I don't think you have much choice. But if you share whatever you've learned or figured out, maybe we can help you."

"What do you mean, what we've learned?" Leo asked as she rubbed her hands on her pants, trying to rid them of sweat.

"Whatever you know. Anything," Harriet said with a nod.

Thomas looked around. "Where is-"

"She said she wanted to scout the area to see if your friends followed us," Sonya interrupted. "Been gone for about an hour."

Leo kept taking glances at the blonde haired girl. There was just something about her that seemed familiar but yet different. She seemed to resemble Newt a lot, in their actions and mannerisms. Same kind of accent.

"Forget how to talk?" she asked, interrupting her from her thoughts.

"Uh, sorry," Leo said as she blinked a few times, embarrassed that she had been caught daydreaming.

"No, um…does this mean you guys are having second thoughts about killing me?" Thomas asked, doubt evident in his voice.

"Don't go jumping to conclusions. And don't think we've gone all righteous. Let's just say we have our doubts and want to talk – but your odds are slim," Harriet said with a smirk.

"The smartest thing right now seems to be do what we were told," Sonya continued. "There are a lot more of us than you. I mean, come on. If it was your decision, what would you do?"

"Pretty sure I'd choose the option of not killing myself," Thomas replied sarcastically, earning him an eye roll from Sonya.

"Don't be a jerk. This isn't funny. If you could choose, and the two options were you die or all of us die, which one would you pick? This is all about you or us." She was deadly serious, taking Thomas aback as he thought about it.

"I-I couldn't do it..." Leo stuttered. "I'd want to save all of them, but...I wouldn't be able to kill someone."

Sonya nodded. "Most of our Group can't kill someone themselves. That's why we get the stronger ones to take control and do the hard work for them." She then turned to Thomas, who seemed to be off in daydream land.

"You gonna answer?" she asked.

"I'm thinking." He paused, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Okay, I'm being honest here. I promise. If I were in your shoes, I'd choose not to kill me."

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say, since it's your life on the line."

"It's not just that. I think it's some kind of test and maybe you're not really supposed to do it. Maybe we should share what we all know, figure something out."

Harriet and Sonya looked at each other, seeming to talk with their eyes. Sonya gave a nod, and Harriet sighed.

"We've had our doubts about this whole thing from the beginning. Especially when we got last minute orders from WICKED to get you too." She looked at Leo, feeling a little guilty at what Teresa had done to her. "Something about it isn't right. So yeah, you better talk. Both of you. But let us get everybody over here first."

The two pushed themselves up to their feet, brushing themselves off.

"Hurry then," Thomas said before they walked away. "We better do this before Teresa gets back."

And then they began to walk off in search of the other girls.

Leo really hoped that them explaining everything to the girls who help save them, spare their lives. Even though she knew how obviously concerning it was for them, thinking they all would die if they didn't kill one person and brutally injure another, she hoped that whatever they would say would make them help them escape.

…

It didn't take long for the two of them to gather the rest of the girls, all of them standing in a tight group in front of her and Thomas.

"All right," Harriet said, breaking the silence. "You talk first, then we will."

Thomas gave a nod, his body still tied to the tree. Leo wondered how uncomfortable it must have been. He cleared his throat before he spoke.

"All I know about your group is what I learned from Aris. And it seems like we all went through pretty much the same thing inside the _Maze_."

"Both groups had the _Maze_ , the _Grievers_ , the _Serum_ , everything," Leo said. She took a glance at Thomas, who was waiting for her to finish. "Thomas and Rachel from your group were given the same role. Same goes for Teresa and Aris."

"And you and Jezebel," Harriet interrupted and Leo nodded.

"Yeah." She sighed. "Almost everything was the same."

"But since we escaped, lots of things have been different," Thomas continued. "And I'm not sure what you know about WICKED."

"Not much," Sonya said.

"Well, I've learned a lot about them. All of us are special in some way – we're being tested or something because they have plans for us." He paused. "A lot of the things they're doing to us don't make sense because they're just part of the trials – what WICKED calls the Variables. Seeing how we react in certain situations. I don't understand all of it, not even close, but I think this whole thing about killing me is another layer. Or another lie. So…I think this is just another Variable to see what we'll all do."

"In other words, you want us to risk our lives because of this brilliant deduction," Harriet said.

"Don't you see? Killing me has no point. Maybe it's a test for you, I don't know. But I do know that I can help you if I'm alive, not if I'm dead."

"Or, we're being tested to see if we have the guts to kill our competitors' leader. Isn't that the whole point? See which group succeeds? Weed out the weak and leave the strong?"

"Thomas isn't the leader. Minho is, that's his title," Leo interrupted.

"Who cares?" Harriet asked.

"No, think about this," Thomas said. "How are you showing any strength by killing me? I'm way outnumbered and you have all these weapons. How does that prove who's stronger?"

"Then what does it have to do with?" a girl from the back of the group asked.

Thomas paused as he tried to choose his next words very carefully. "I think it's a test to see if you'll think for yourself, change plans, make rational decisions. And the more of us there are, the better odds we have of making it to the Safe Haven. Killing me makes no sense, does no one any good. You've proven any power you needed to by capturing me. Show them you won't blindly take it all the way."

He stopped as he relaxed back into the tree, running out of things to say.

"And what's the test with her? She was a last minute choice by them," another girl asked, pointing at Leo.

"Easy," Leo said, her nerves slowly decreasing as she spoke. "They want to see how far you'll go to follow their orders. If you would follow a last minute decision made by them. If you would harm someone is much weaker than any one of you…If you would continue beating me until you ended up killing me. You would then most likely be called murders by WICKED, and then receive some kind of punishment for following their orders too well…"

"Interesting stuff," Sonya said. "Sounds a lot like something a person who's desperate not to die would say."

Thomas gave a shrug as Leo groaned. "I really feel like it's the truth. I think that if you kill me or Leo, you'll have failed the real test WICKED is throwing at you."

"Yeah, I bet you think that," Harriet said as she stood up. "Look, to be honest, we've been thinking the same types of things. But we wanted to see what you two had to say. Sun should be down soon, and I'm sure Teresa will be back any minute. We'll talk about it when she gets here."

"No!" Thomas yelled, but quickly calmed himself down. "I mean, she's the one who seems the most gung ho about killing us. I think you guys should make the decision."

"Calm down," Harriet said with a slight smile. "If we decide not to kill you, there's nothing she can freaking do about it. But if we…" She stopped herself, a strange look on her face.

Had she said too much?

"We'll figure it out."

Without another word, the group of girls all gathered their belongings and packed them into their backpacks, ready for the night's journey.

Murmurs and small conversations drifted in and out of Leo's ears as they kept glancing their way every now and then.

Darkness was finally spreading over the _Scorch_ , and only then did Teresa finally appear. She walked towards them from where they had travelled earlier that day. But Leo knew that Teresa wasn't stupid. She would figure something was going on.

"What?" Teresa asked.

"We need to talk," Harriet said.

Teresa raised an eyebrow, but followed her anyway over to the cliff where the rest of the group was. There were loud and furious whispers coming from there, but neither Leo nor Thomas could make them out.

She could feel her anxiety coming back as her heart started to race. What would Teresa say? Would she come over and kill them even if Group B had said not to do so? Or would she listen to them?

But Teresa looked beyond pissed. She seemed to be screaming at them, obviously not liking their decision. Leo's hands started to sweat again as she felt herself starting to become short of breath.

Thomas nudged her with his head, trying his best to give her some kind of reassurance. She almost laughed at how stupid his action was, but at least he was trying to do something.

Night had almost fully fallen when Teresa turned and stomped away from the group, throwing a tantrum as she walked away and headed north. She slung her spear over her shoulder as she went inside the _Pass_.

The group of girls seemed to be relieved, and Harriet quickly came walking over to them. She didn't say anything as she knelt down and untied the ropes surrounding Thomas.

"Well?" he asked. "Did you guys decide anything?"

She didn't give an answer until she had finished untying him, sitting back on her heels as she looked at both of them.

"It's your lucky day. We decided not to kill your puny butt after all. It can't be a coincidence that we've all been thinking the same things deep down."

Leo could feel her breath returning back to normal at the news. She felt a huge rush of relief flow through her, calming her nerves down.

"But I tell you what," Harriet said as she stood back up, holding a hand out to help them. "Teresa does not like you. Either of you. I'd watch my back around her if I were you."

Thomas got pulled up by Harriet, and then Leo followed. She glanced over at the Pass where Teresa had disappeared, and wished she had been able to keep her knife to defend herself tonight.

Teresa was going to kill her tonight.

And there was no way to stop her.

…

 _How long until she's going to kill us? The waiting is killing me._

 **She'll probably wait until we're fast asleep, when we least expect it…Guess we're not going to get any sleep tonight.**

This is torture. Insanity! Just kill us! Please!

The voices kept screaming over the top of each other as she was finally given some food from Group B. Thomas had given half of his food to her considering she hadn't eaten anything for two days and she pretty much scoffed it down in what seemed like two seconds.

Group B was preparing to travel through the mountains and head for the _Safe Haven_ during the night, where they were supposed to wait on the other side until the time. The travel would take a day or two, so they needed all the time they could get.

She felt strange sitting with this group of girls who had only hours ago wanted/or how tried to want to kill them. But they started to become friendly with her, asking her questions about the boys in her group. They treated her like one of the girls, which she hadn't experienced in her entire life.

But being here right now made her miss her friends even more. Minho, Emil, Frypan, Clint…Newt. She missed him more than anything, and she just wished she could be back in his arms, or at least see his face. She wished she had the strength to leave Group B by herself, or even with Thomas by her side, but she knew that was not enough food for both of them and time was quickly running out.

She just prayed that they would all find the _Safe Haven_ in time.

She walked close to Group B, making sure she wouldn't get separated and lost. She walked for a couple of hours, but there was nothing but tall cliffs made of stone and the echoing sounds of crunching stones under her feet.

None of the Group talked as they walked in silence, making her feel uncomfortable. Her legs felt weak after not having used them for so long. It felt strange, but good at the same time to finally move on her own without being dragged or carried.

Thomas walked beside her, not saying a word as he walked. He seemed to be drifting off more and more into his thoughts recently, and she wondered how much of them were made up of Teresa.

She wondered if he still trusted her, still considered a friend.

Because Leo could never trust her again.

Harriet drifted back from the Group until she walked side by side with her and Thomas.

"Sorry we dragged you through the desert in a bag," she said to Thomas. "And sorry we dragged you across the ground with a sore shoulder."

Leo gave a nod, not knowing if anything she said would be worth it.

"Oh, no problem, it felt good to take a load off for a while," Thomas said.

Harriet laughed. "Yeah, well, the man from WICKED gave us specific instructions about you. But it was Teresa who got all obsessed about it. Almost like killing you was her idea."

"Did the guy have a white suit and kind of look like a rat turned human?" Thomas asked.

"Good description of the Rat Man," Leo muttered, which made Thomas crack a small smile.

"Yeah," Harriet answered. "Same guy who talked to you group?"

Thomas nodded. "What were the…specific instructions he gave you?"

"Well, most of our trip has been through underground tunnels. That's why you didn't see us in the desert. The first thing we were supposed to do was that weird thing where you and Teresa spoke in that building on the south side of the city. Remember?"

"Uh, yeah, I remember."

"You guys set that up?" Leo asked, and Harriet nodded. "Good thing you did go by yourself, huh?"

"Well, you've probably figured it out, but all of that was an act. Kind of a prepper to give you some false security. She even told us they somehow…controlled her long enough to make her kiss you? Is that true?"

"Kiss? Wait, what?" Leo asked as Thomas stopped walking, turning to see his eyes widened. He bent down and put his hands on his knees, trying to regain his breath.

"You didn't know?" Harriet asked, and Leo shook her head.

"He never said anything about it…" She placed her hand on Thomas' back, bending down close to his ear. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him, now realising why he cared so much for her. He loved her. Or at least he did.

"I know this sucks," Harriet said softly. "It seems like you used to feel really close to her."

Thomas reluctantly stood back up, slowly sucking in a deep breath. "I…just…I had hoped it was the other way around. That they were forcing her to try to hurt us, that she broke away long enough to…to kiss me."

"Thomas…" Leo said, feeling even more guilt creeping into her body. They could talk telepathically, they knew each other before the Maze. They had probably been in some kind of relationship before the Maze.

And now to find out it was all a lie, a trick…

No wonder she had hated her so much.

Harriet put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Ever since she joined us, she's made you out to be a monster who did something really awful to her, only she'd never tell us what it was. But I gotta tell ya – you're not anything like how she described you. That's probably the real reason we changed our minds."

She turned to Leo and gave her a nod. "She made you out to be one of the most, insane disgusting people in the world that needed to be stopped. She made out that she was right to do all those things to you…We never wanted to harm you, ya know?"

Leo gave a nod. "I know. It's just…Never mind."

Thomas closed his eyes, shaking off his racing heart as he started to walk again. "Okay, tell me the rest. I need to hear it. All of it."

"Everything else about the instructions to kill you had to do with catching you in the desert like we did and bringing you back here. We were even told to keep you in the bag until we got out of Group A's sight. Then…well, then the big day was supposed to be the day after tomorrow. There's supposed to be a place built into the mountain on the north side. A special place to…kill you."

"A place? What does that mean?"

"I don't know. He just told us we'd know what to do when we got there." She paused, snapping her fingers. "I bet that's where she went earlier."

"Why? How close are we to the other side?"

"No idea, actually."

…

Absolutely nothing. Nothing for miles. No sign of the _Safe Haven_.

"Maybe we just can't see it," Thomas said.

"Yeah," Harriet agreed. "It might just be another entrance to one of their underground tunnels. I'm sure it's there."

"Could be one of those Flat Trans we took?" Leo suggested.

"How many more miles do you think we have left?" Sonya asked.

"Can't be more than ten, based on where we started and how far the man said we had to go. Probably more like seven or eight. I thought we'd come out over here and we'd see a nice big building with a smiley face on it."

"Well, not much choice but to keep heading north. We should've known better than to expect something easy. Maybe we can make it to the bottom of the mountain by sunrise. Sleep on flat ground."

"Where's Teresa?" Thomas suddenly asked.

"Why are you asking for her? Isn't it better if she's not here?" Leo asked.

"At this point, I don't really care," Harriet said. "If she's a big enough girl to runnin' around when she doesn't get her way, she's big enough to catch up and find us when she gets over it. Come on."

Then they started walking again. After an hour or so, her legs started to run from the downhill walk. Thomas and Leo were the last two in line, just passing the far side of the trees when a sudden voice said his name.

Thomas almost tripped as he heard his name, while Leo tried to stop herself from screaming.

They turned and saw Teresa step out from behind the white wood, the spear in her right hand.

"Teresa," he whispered. "What…"

"Tom, we need to talk," she said, almost sounding like the original Teresa. "Don't worry about them, just come with me." She gestured to the trees behind her with a jerk of her head.

"Maybe we should"

"Just come on. The act is over." She turned and started walking away, not waiting for Thomas to follow. But she stopped walking suddenly and turned around, staring straight at the terrified Leo.

"You need to come to. There's someone here to talk to you."

Leo's breath almost vanished at the mention of her, of someone needing to talk to her. Who could it have been?

Thomas only thought for two seconds before he started following her.

"Thomas, wait!" Leo whispered to him, making him stop and turn around.

"We need to do this, come on," he said as he grabbed her arm, dragging her through the trees and following Teresa, much to Leo's protest.


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY:**

Scorch: The Ultimate Betrayal…

* * *

Day Eleven – The Scorch Trials

The trees in the forest had been dead for many years, yet their branches still grabbed hold of Leo's clothes and scratched her skin, leaving white marks all over her arms. The moonlight shined down on them, leaving the wood white and the rest covered in shadows. It made her feel uncomfortable, walking through the forest in the middle of the night, walking in silence.

Teresa was silent as she kept walking, Thomas questioning whether he should say anything. He still held hold of Leo's hand, making sure she didn't run away, which she had fully intended on doing.

Her mind raced at Teresa's words. Someone to see her? Who would want to see her? And since it was coming from Teresa, it meant it was no one good so Newt and Minho were out of the question.

"Where're we going?" Thomas asked, suddenly breaking the silence. "And you really expect me to believe all that was an act? Why didn't you stop when everybody else agreed not to kill me?"

"You've met Aris, right?" was her reply, which sent shivers down Leo's spine. She continued to move like nothing had happened, which made Leo grab hold of Thomas' arm with her other hand. She tried to yank him back, to get them to run back down to Group B, to safety. But he didn't.

"Aris? How do you even know about him? What's he got to do with this?"

"Thomas, please, let's go," Leo whispered in the darkness, but he wouldn't listen as he tried to catch up with Teresa.

Teresa didn't answer him as she pushed through a tight pack of branches, one of them flying back and smacking him in the face once she'd let go. Leo quickly ducked, slightly glad of her small stature.

Then, she stopped and turned around to face them. "I happen to know Aris very well," she said tightly. "Much better than you're going to like. Not only was he a big part of my life before the _Maze_ , he and I can speak in our minds, just like you and I used to do. Even when I was in the _Glade_ , we communicated all the time. And we knew they'd eventually put us back together."

Leo kept pulling on Thomas' arm, trying to get him to listen to her, to run before Teresa did something to them. "Thomas, come on," she said, but he didn't listen.

Teresa folded her arms, almost as if she was enjoying both Thomas' struggle to speak and Leo's struggle to escape.

"You're lying," he said. "That's all you do is lie. I don't understand why, or what's going on, but"

"Oh, come on, Tom," she interrupted. "How could you possibly be so stupid? After all that's happened to you, how could anything surprise you anymore? Everything about us was part of some ridiculous test. And it's over. Aris and I are going to do what we were told to do, and life goes on. WICKED's all that matters now. That's it."

"You're so full of shit," Leo spat, using all of her strength to try and move Thomas. He seemed to be made of stone, his grip tightening on her arm as he wouldn't budge from where he stood.

"You don't anything, Leo. You're not meant to no anything. You're not supposed to even be here," Teresa growled. "You know _nothing_ about Aris and I."

"What are you talking about?" Thomas asked, the emptiness in his voice evident.

Teresa looked over his shoulder and into the darkness, almost as if she was waiting for something. Or someone.

Twigs broke on the ground behind them, making Leo turn her head sharply to see who it was. The breath almost got knocked out of her at the sight before her, but Thomas wouldn't turn around.

"Tom," Teresa said. "Aris is right behind you, and he has a very big knife. Try anything and he'll slice your neck. You two are coming with us and you're gonna do exactly what we tell you. Understand?"

Leo felt sick as she kept glancing between Thomas and Teresa. Thomas' face was filled with anger, rage building up inside of his body with every word she spoke. And Leo felt the same way as she growled, which made Teresa shrug.

"Say hi, Aris," she said with a smile. It was sickening smile that made Leo want to rush over to her and punch her right in her smiling face. Thomas' face sunk at the sight of her smile.

"Hi, Tommy," Aris said, his tone had changed from his usual friendly tone. "Such a thrill to be with you again."

"Don't call him that," Leo said as calmly as she could, the tip of Aris' knife just touching Thomas' back. Thomas however, remained silent.

"Oh sorry, does that offend you?" Aris asked, slowly moving the knife over to her back, inching it up until it reached just behind her neck. "Am I not privileged enough to call him that, huh?"

Thomas remained silent, which made Teresa shrug. "Well, at least you're acting like a grown-up about this Thomas. Can't say the same for that one…Just keep following me – we're almost there."

"Where are we going?" Thomas asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

She turned and started walking through the trees again, using her spear as a walking stick as she guided herself through the dark. Thomas quickly followed behind, not wanting to give Aris the satisfaction of pushing him forward.

"Am I supposed to go to?" Leo asked.

Aris placed the knife back to her back. "What do you think?" was his only reply before she started walking, trying to catch up with Thomas.

The trees got thicker and became closer together as they continued walking, the moonlight slowly fading away. Darkness creeped in, sucking the light away from the night. It made Leo even more nervous as to what was happening.

Had Group B figured out they had gone? Did they set all this up? Were Group A okay? Would she ever see them again? Would she ever see Newt again?

"Keep walking," Aris said, waking her up out of her thoughts. She hadn't even realised she had stopped walking until she could feel the knife back to her back again.

They soon reached a cave, a thick group of trees becoming the wall at the entrance. It was so sudden. One minute they were in the branches of the trees, next they were in a narrow hole in the side of the mountain.

There was a small light source that shone from deep inside the cave, a sickly green colour that made everyone in front of her look like rotting corpses. Teresa and Thomas stepped to the side to let Leo inside, Aris walking around them.

He aimed the knife at Thomas' chest like a gun as he backed up to the wall opposite of Teresa, leaning up against it.

 _They are definitely going to kill you now._

 **Maybe they weren't supposed to kill you and only Thomas, but because he dragged you here, they have to kill you because you're a witness.**

Put us out of our misery! Just kill us! Please!

The voices were going crazy as she moved her hands to her head, hoping that would calm them down. But it didn't work.

They screamed, cried and cursed all over each other, creating a loud blur of voices that started driving her insane, pushing against her skull with a painful throb. She had to pull her hands away from her head quickly though, before they noticed.

"Well, we're here," Teresa said as she looked at Aris.

Aris couldn't take his eyes off of Thomas though. "Yep, we're here, all right. You're serious about him talking the others into sparing him? What is he, some kind of superpsychologist?"

"It kind of helped, actually. Made it easier to get him here." Teresa threw a patronising glare towards Thomas before she glanced at Leo. "And we got an extra one with us. Isn't that exciting?"

She gave a sickening smirk before she headed towards Aris. She stood on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, grinning.

"I'm so glad we're finally back together."

Aris smiled. He sent a warning look over to Thomas before he tilted his head towards Teresa.

He kissed her on the lips.

Thomas turned his head and closed his eyes. Leo felt like gagging at the sight of those two horrible, traitors kissing. They continued for a long time, making Leo roll her eyes.

It was all for show. To make Thomas feel horrible. To make him suffer.

"Get it over with," Thomas said, his eyes still closed.

Leo turned her head to him, wondering how he was feeling. Was he sick to his stomach? Was he upset? Did he feel like crying? Or did nothing matter to him anymore, and it was just a numb pain?

Thomas finally opened his eyes.

Aris and Teresa were whispering to each other, stealing kisses in-between their words. She wondered if this was an act or if they really were together and she had just been stringing Thomas along this whole time.

Leo couldn't tell and secretly didn't want to know.

Thomas looked away again, this time looking at the green light from the back of the cave. Leo squinted her eyes, trying to make out what the light could have possibly been coming from.

It was a large rectangle of a pale green light, set inside a dark stone that pulsed with a ghostly glow. It was the size of an average man, maybe a metre wide. Stains speckled across the surface - a filthy window to what looked like radioactive sludge.

Teresa stepped away from Aris – finally – their little love spout over. She looked over at Thomas just as he looked at her.

"Tom, if it helps, I'm really sorry I hurt you. I did what I had to do back in the _Maze_ , and being all buddy-buddy seemed like my best shot at getting the memories we needed to figure out that code and escape. And I didn't have much choice here in the _Scorch_. All we had to do was get you here to pass the Trials. And it's either you or us."

Teresa paused, a strange glint in her eye. "Aris is my best friend, Tom," she said calmly. This made Thomas snap.

"I…don't…care!" he screamed, but it sounded like a lie as his voice cracked.

"I'm just saying. If you care about me, then you should understand why I'd be willing to do whatever it takes to make it through this and keep him safe. Wouldn't you have done the same for me?"

"You're such a cold, heartless bitch!" Leo cursed. "If you really cared him even in the slightest little bit, you wouldn't have strung him along and made him think you two were close. You would have just let him be!"

"You don't understand, I don't care about him like that."

"What is this?" Thomas screamed. "Are you trying to come up with all the ways possible in the universe to hurt me? Just shut your _shuck_ mouth and do whatever it is you brought me here to do!"

"Fine. Aris, let's open the door. Time for Tom to go."

Aris kept his knife pointed at Thomas as Teresa may her way towards the green, rectangle of light. She walked across the cave until she'd vanished from the light. She reached for the stone wall, punching a finger on what Leo assumed was a keypad.

She took a step back once she finished.

"We'll see if that actually works," Aris said.

"It will," Teresa replied.

There was a loud, sudden pop followed by a sharp hiss. The right edge of the glass swung outwards, like a door. As it opened, thin streams of white fog swirled through the opening, before evaporating into nothing.

It looked like some kind of freezer.

The door finally stopped, thumping with a shivering screech against the wall of jagged rocks behind it. There was a pit of black where the door had been before, the mist completely stopping as well.

"Do you have a flashlight?" Aris asked.

Teresa put her spear down on the ground as she pulled off her backpack. She searched through until she pulled out a flashlight, turning it on as the light flickered.

Aris nodded towards the opening. "Take a look while I watch them. Don't try anything, Thomas. I'm pretty sure what they have planned for you is easier than getting stabbed to death."

Thomas said nothing.

 _If that's what awaits Thomas, then what are they going to do to us?_

 **Maybe they're going to release us once Thomas goes inside whatever that thing is?**

 _Or maybe we'll get something worse. Like fifty people stabbing us all at once while we're kept alive._

 **Maybe, maybe…Is this the end?**

Why do they like taunting us! Just kill us! God!

Teresa stepped up to the right side of the rectangular hole, shining her flashlight inside. She swept the light up and down, left and right. The light cut through the cloud of fog, but the fog was thing enough to reveal what was inside.

It was a small, enclosed room, only a metre deep. The walls were made of a silver metal, the surface broken up by small objects sticking out maybe ten centimetres high, each ending with a black hole.

Teresa turned to Aris, flicking off the flashlight. "Looks about right."

Aris turned his head back to look at Thomas. "Exactly like they said it would be."

"So…I guess this is it?"

Aris nodded, switching the knife over to the other hand. "This is it. Thomas, be a good boy and go on inside. Who knows, maybe this is all a big test and once you're in they'll let ya go and we can all have a happy reunion."

"Shut up, Aris."

 _She suddenly grew a heart?_

 **No matter what she says, it doesn't change a single thing. She's still a traitor.**

Teresa turned to Thomas, avoiding his eyes. "Let's get this over with."

Aris waved his blade, trying to indicate that Thomas should walk forward. "Come on. Don't make me drag you in."

Thomas slowly started walking towards the glass chamber, Teresa's arms tensing as he continued to walk. Aris kept the weapon near Thomas' neck with every step he took.

Teresa was behind him, standing right beside Leo as they both watched as Thomas stood directly in front of the open doorway. He turned his head and looked at Aris.

"What did Rachel look like as she bled to death?"

Aris froze, right as Thomas jumped towards him, swinging his left arm to smack the knife out of his hand. The knife clattered on the ground.

Leo took the chance to run towards it, only to be smacked across the head with the butt of Teresa's spear. Leo groaned as she feel to the ground, trying her best to reach out to grab the hilt of the knife.

Thomas punched Aris in the stomach, sending him down to the ground. He looked up at the sound of Leo's groan to see that Teresa had picked up her spear. She charged towards him.

Thomas threw his hand up to try and protect himself, but he was too late. The butt of her spear hit him on the side of the head as he hit the ground. He tried to get back up.

"Stop it!" Teresa screamed as she slammed the spear on the top of his head.

Leo pushed herself up to her knees, trying her best to keep herself conscious as she moved towards the knife. Aris pushed himself up and turned to see her close to the knife. He bolted towards her, slamming into her as they both fell to the ground. She screamed as she thrashed, kicking and punching him, but nothing would make him let go. He grabbed hold of the knife with one hand and held it up, pointing it right in-between her eyes.

She stopped thrashing, and Aris smirked.

"Get up. Now," he commanded.

"Get in the room, Thomas," Teresa said through heavy breaths. "Get in the room or I'll hit you again. I swear I'll keep doing it till you pass out or bleed to death."

Leo had slowly stood up at this point, clutching onto her head as Aris walked back over to Teresa. Thomas reared both legs and kicked, hitting both of them in their knees.

They crumbled down on top of each other, as Thomas struggled to move. He had only gotten a few centimetres off the ground before Aris landed on Thomas' back, slamming him back down to the ground. He wrapped his arms around Thomas' neck, choking him.

"You're going in that room," Aris spat. "Help me, Teresa!"

Teresa grabbed both of his arms as she started dragging him towards the open door, Aris pushing him.

"Don't do this," he whispered. "Please…"

"Stop! Don't do this!" Leo screamed as she tried running at them, but Aris stopped pushing for a second as he grabbed hold of her shoulder, pressing his fingers inside the stab wound.

She screamed out as blood coated his fingers, black filling her vision as the pain took over her body. He continued until Teresa told him to come back and help her, leaving Leo to collapse to the ground.

"No," Thomas whispered. "No."

"You're so stubborn," Teresa said. "You had to make it harder on yourself! Harder on all of us!"

"Teresa," he whispered.

His body was chucked into the room as the door slammed shut, leaving him trapped inside.

"Thomas," Leo tried to call, but it only came out as a whisper at her weakening state.

Teresa and Aris turned around to face her, glancing at each other before Teresa sighed. "Guess we better do something about her, huh?"

"He's waiting around the corner," Aris said, before he walked out the entrance of the cave, seeming to talk to someone before he walked back inside. Behind him, he was dragging a beaten and bleeding Emil, tears flowing down his cheeks as he held something in his hands.

Aris chucked him down on the ground beside Leo. "You know what to do," Aris said as he looked over at Teresa with a smile.

Emil's body was shaking as sobs took over him, one of his eyes closed where a bruise would form.

"W-What do they do to you?" Leo whispered in the darkness to him.

She could hear his panicked breaths before he replied. "T-They…I have to…I-I don't want to…I don't want to…"

Leo glared over at Aris and Teresa, knowing what they were going to try and make him do. They were going to make Emil do something to her. Harm her. Kill her. Whatever they wanted.

"You…sick…bastards," she grunted with all the strength she had.

"He's too weak, he won't do it," Teresa said as she tilted her head at the still crying Emil, who had been beaten up so bad that he couldn't move.

"Geez, I'll just do it then," Aris said as he rolled his eyes, prying out the object from inside Emil's hand. He bent down in front of Leo, grabbing hold of her arm and turning it so her palm showed.

"WICKED won't be happy about this," he said as looked at Emil one last time before he looked back at the object his hands. "He betrayed them."

Aris slowly flicked the object in his hand with his fingernail, a small drop of liquid coming out the top. She panicked once she realised what it was.

A syringe.

She screamed with what strength she had as she trashed around, not wanting to be injected.

"Stop struggling!" Aris yelled as he punched Leo in the shoulder. She stopped for a split second as the pain hit her, and that was enough for Aris to stab her arm, injecting the liquid inside into her veins.

She stopped completely as she felt it going inside, seemingly replacing her blood as it flowed through her entire body. Slowly, each part of her body started to feel numb.

Her feet. Her legs. Her stomach. Her hands. Her arms. Her chest.

Her thoughts vanished as they turned into mush, her brain relaxing as it seemed to be shutting down. She could feel her heart beating slower and slower, and she wondered if they were slowly killing her.

It wasn't painful. It wasn't pleasurable.

It was just numb.

"I'm…I'm sorry," Emil chocked out, but she couldn't blame him. He had been unwillingly taken, forced to try and kill her.

Her eyes slowly closed as she took one last breath before blackness took over her, and she wondered if had just taken her last breath.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:**

Scorch: Hallucinations and Memories…

* * *

She felt like she was floating on top of a cloud, weightless in the seemingly black nothingness of her mind. She had no idea where she was, or how long it had been, or what was happening to her, but it didn't fill her with any kind of emotion.

Just nothing.

She slowly lifted her body up, sitting up in the air as she continued to float. She felt relaxed, like nothing would happen to her if she just stayed floating in this black hole of nothing.

She looked around her, noticing small little lights sparkling in the distance, something that had not been there only what she assumed was a few minutes ago. She closed her eyes as she tried to direct her floating body over to them, intrigued by the sudden lights that almost blinded her in all the darkness.

Her body slowly started drifting over to the closest star on the left, one that seemed so small that she wondered if it was even worth investigating it. She was only a few meters away when a loud, piercing scream cut her off.

She screamed as she grabbed hold of her head, her thoughts, worries and concerns slowly fading back into existence, almost drowning out the piercing scream that continued in the distance. She whimpered as a throbbing pain formed in her skull, and suddenly the dreaded three voices were back again, unknowingly tormenting her with just their existence.

 _Where are we? And why are we floating? This defying's everything about gravity and even common sense._

 **What happened before this…Injected with a syringe filled with some liquid, blacked out from both pain and the assumed drug…And then we're here.**

The third voice remained silent, the child-like voice not having anything to say. It had always screamed about death, murder and suffering, but now it either didn't see a way of doing so, or had vanished for the moment.

 _That star…That scream. What will happen if we go closer to it? Will we get sucked up inside and fade forever, or will something else happen?_

 **Maybe this is a test from WICKED? Whether or not we will succumb to the peaceful darkness or go back to the harsh reality?**

She continued to hold her head as she tried to concentrate on moving her body towards the bright, shining light, curious about what would happen if she touched it. Once she reached it, she slowly reached out a hand to cover her eyes, the light blinding her.

 _Why are these things so bright? Are we supposed to be going near them?_

 **Maybe it wants to prepare us for when we go back into the Scorch…If we aren't just dead and floating in purgatory.**

"Please…be quiet," Leo whispered as she let go of her head, reaching that hand closer to the star. She wanted to touch it. It drew her in. It made her want to go closer, to see what lied underneath.

She touched the star with a single finger, hissing as pain enveloped her index finger. She tried not to scream as the light from the star started travelling up her arm, soon encasing her entire body in the bright light. The pain was too much for her to handle, and the voices both screamed in pain.

It seemed to be hurting them more than it hurt her.

She closed her eyes for only a split second, before the darkness vanished, leaving her in just a white, empty space. She called out, hoping there might be someone to hear her, but of course only her voice echoed throughout the space.

 _We're alive…But how?_

 **Maybe we are actually dead and this is what death is like…**

 _This is not what I imagined death to be like. Where's the angels with wings, and the glowing, golden gates that led me to heaven?_

 **None of that exists. Get real.**

Why…Why…Why…

The child-like chanted and screamed, causing Leo to burst out into tears as the voice's thoughts seemed to possess her, questioning its entire existence with three simple words.

Why?

The tears continued to pour down her cheeks, seemingly becoming bigger as more and more continued to fall to the ground. Soon, a small puddle formed at her feet and before she knew it, the white room turned black again…

Her eyes shot open as she tried gasping for air. She felt like her lungs were on fire as she tried to breathe. But all she kept swallowing was water.

She tried to scream as she looked around her, in search of oxygen. The water stung her eyes as she noticed she was now trapped inside what she assumed to be her tears, the saltiness burning her lungs.

She tried swimming up to the top, but it had reached up to the roof, trapping her inside the water. She slammed her hands against the roof, her muffled screams desperate to be heard. She punched and pushed on the roof of the room, hoping that someone would come and save her.

Her knuckles started to bleed, the red, metallic liquid slowly floating in the clear, salty liquid. It started to surround her as she felt herself going lightheaded, the lack of oxygen getting to her.

Just when she thought she was going to pass out, she heard mechanical sounds from above her, and she started banging on the roof once again. She could hear the sound of nails clinking on the ground, giving her the slightest bit of hope.

It went silent for a second before a circle in the roof was slowly lifted up, almost like someone was lifting off a lid to a container. She pushed herself up into the gap unfilled with water and gasped as she choked on her own tears.

She pushed herself through and landed down on the surface above the roof, the water slowly draining from the room below her. She rolled onto her stomach as she coughed up all the liquid inside of her, the sudden rush of oxygen feeling like a high.

She took deep, shallow breaths, the water finally drained from her lungs. A slight smile made its way to face as she relaxed, the glaring white room almost seeming like a blessing.

 _How did we survive that? Did someone lift off the roof for us?_

 **I'd rather not know at the moment. I'm just glad we're alive.**

Why? Why? Why?

The child screamed again, but this time she wasn't crying. Instead, she could smell something strange.

She lifted herself off the ground, sitting up as she looked for where the smell was coming from. A reddish-orange light burned her eyes, making her hold a hand in front of them. The room had now gotten padding on the walls, almost resembling a mental institution.

But the room felt strangely warm.

Too warm.

She took a deep breath, only to find herself coughing from the sudden toxic air that filled her lungs. She covered her mouth once she noticed why the room was so hot. There was a fire in the middle of the room, slowly burning up the room.

The smoke was gradually travelling around the room, making her eyes water as she looked for something to put out the fire.

She pushed herself onto her feet as she ran around the room, slamming on the walls in the hopes of another trap door or secret latch for someone to help her. But there was none in this room.

She continued to cover her mouth as she backed herself against the wall, watching as the fire was slowly starting to draw closer.

She almost screamed when she felt like she was falling as she jumped to the other side of the wall, noticing a black spot in the once white room. Only then did she realise that it was a hole, a hole where her feet had almost fallen through.

She rushed over to the other side of the room as she noticed more and more tiles on the floor disappearing. Now half of the room was missing. The fire was coming closer, as were the disappearing tiles.

She looked down at her own tile, noticing that the two next to her had disappeared, leaving her standing on a single platform in the middle of the room, the burning fire still drawing closer.

She watched in horror as the tile she was standing on slowly started to fade to black, making her scream as her feet fell through first, tears coming back to her eyes as she fell for what seemed like forever.

As she fell, she watched the entire room above her disappearing before her eyes, the fire eventually covering the entire room. It became clouded in black smoke, ashes sprinkling down beside her as she continued to fall.

After 5 minutes, her body suddenly stopped in mid-air, making her gasp as the wind was knocked out of her. She was stuck in the air with her arms and legs spread, staring at the ground that awaited her.

There were giant, black patches all over the ground, silvery machines sticking out of the black masses.

They were _Grievers_.

She couldn't help but scream once she noticed them staring straight at her.

 _whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_

 _click-click-click_

She screamed again as the dreaded sounds filled her ears, the sounds she had thought she would never have to hear again. All five of them were slowly releasing their weaponry, knives and giant spikes slowly reaching towards her.

She struggled in the air as she tried to escape the invisible force holding her there. She thrashed around as hard as she could, but found there was nothing removing her from the air.

 _whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_

 _click-click-click_

The two _Grievers_ on the end jumped onto the walls, sliding up them as they got ready to pounce on her. She screamed as tears fell to the ground, and she wondered if she was going to die right then and there.

The three remaining _Grievers_ tried jumping up from where they were on the ground, only coming a few centimetres from her. She didn't know how long she could last this torture, wondering if and when they were going to kill her.

It was like they were toying with her.

 _whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrr_

 _click-click-click_

The two Grievers on the wall suddenly jumped, pointing their spikes right at her body as she screamed. She closed her eyes, right as she felt her body being lifted up, the two _Grievers_ slamming into each other. She felt her heart dropped as she opened her eyes, watching herself enter another room from above.

Her body stopped once again as the floor from underneath her closed up, trapping the _Grievers_ underneath. She sighed with relief, her heart starting to beat again as she was stuck in the silence.

She felt her body slowly being flipped until she was almost standing up, but still floating in the air. A large, circular shape slammed into her back, making her gasp in pain. Her arms were slammed against it as rope roughly wrapped around her wrists.

She struggled as she tried to remove herself from the circular shape, but it was useless as her ankles were tied to it as well.

The room suddenly turned dark, and she could feel her anxiety rising through her body. Her hands started to sweat as she found it hard to breathe. Only her heavy and fast breaths could be hard in the silence of the room, and that only made it worse.

She had no idea how she could still be crying, but the tears kept coming down. She felt like vomiting at how hard she was crying.

A sudden light shined in the room, making her wince as it stung her eyes. It shined straight down on her, almost like a spotlight. She dreaded what could possibly come next.

Something flew straight past her, landing only a centimetre from head. It sunk into the wooden circle. She couldn't turn her head to see what it was, but she had a good idea.

She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw a long, rusty, bloodied knife sticking through her hair.

And then the circle started to move.

She screamed as she felt herself going upside down, then sideways, then back upright, then sideways again. An endless circle. Faster and faster.

Another knife thrown. Right between her fingers. She felt like she couldn't breathe as she looked at how close the knife had come from stabbing into one of her fingers.

Another knife. Then another.

All of them aimed near a vital body part.

Arms. Legs. Feet. Hands. Neck. Head.

Then the next knife thrown from the darkness was coming straight for her. She screamed as she watched the knife coming closer and closer, ready to sink in the stop between her eyes.

She closed them, right as the circle suddenly slammed backwards, sending her body with it. She watched as the knife that was going to kill her soar past and sink into the padded wall behind her.

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding as she felt the ropes loosen, her body slowly falling from the circle until her back landed on the ground. The circle was lifted up into the air as the bloodied knife remained in the wall.

She wondered how much longer this would go. The pain. The tears. The near death experiences.

How much longer could she survive?

…

She stood on the same streets that had been inside all of her dreams, the silence almost eerie from what she knew. There were no _Cranks_ , not even a single person anywhere inside the houses.

She was secretly glad she was out of the padded, white rooms and out in an environment she had some kind of understanding about.

At least she knew what could happen out here.

She jumped as she heard the sudden screams of a man, his screams sounding much like a _Crank_ who's almost past the _Gone_. She searched around her, but she couldn't figure out where the scream was coming from.

Then a high-pitched, girl's scream echoed through the streets, just as a small body flew out the window. Glass shattered around them as red liquid dripped and squirted from her back.

The body landed on the ground on their side, and as Leo drew closer she realised it was a little girl. No more than the age of five.

She could hear the horrid laughs of a male _Crank_ from above, and she looked to see the _Crank_ staring out the window, laughing at the body of the young girl. Leo's heart ached. He must have been the girl's father.

Leo quickly picked up the bleeding girl, carrying her away from the _Crank_ inside the house and to somewhere safe. She had no idea where that could possibly be, but she felt that she needed to save this girl.

The young girl fell unconscious, her blood staining Leo's hands as she slammed her body into a door, pushing it open as she rushed inside. Leo quickly placed the girl down on the couch as she rushed to slam the door shut, moving one of the other couches in front of it.

She hoped the _Crank_ wouldn't come back for them.

Leo quickly ripped off one of her sleeves, rushing over to help the girl. The blood on her hands made her feel sick, but she knew she needed to overcome this or else the girl would die.

She flipped the girl's body until she was lying on her stomach, wrapping her sleeve around the middle of the girl's back. She ripped off the bottom of her shirt as she wrapped it around the girl's lower back, securing it tight to try and stop the bleeding. It soaked through the shirt, but with Leo's hands pushing into the wounds, the blood eventually slowed until it stopped altogether.

Only then did Leo let her disgust of blood overpower her.

She rushed to the kitchen and threw up in the sink, trying her best to wash off all the blood on her hands. She hoped her efforts wouldn't go to waste and that the girl would survive.

She lied down on the kitchen floor, knowing it would be a while before the girl would wake up. She was most likely in shock from the impact on the window, and the amount of blood she lost.

She could hear bangs on the front door, but she drowned them out as she closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion take over her…


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO:**

Scorch: The Never-Ending Journey to the Safe Haven…

* * *

Day Thirteen – The Scorch Trials

[The Journey – Group B]

Group B continued to walk down the giant hill. The sun had just started to rise, and all of them were exhausted as they tried to reach the _Safe Haven_. One of the girls fell down to the ground as she tried to catch her breath. She had been the most unfit out of the group, and Sonya had always tried to help her.

"Come on, we've only get five miles left," she said as she bent down beside the girl, helping her back to her feet. She wrapped one arm around the girl's shoulder as the two started to walk, following the single-file line that the girls had formed.

They walked for another ten minutes before Harriet gave a sigh, stopping as the rest of the line followed. "Alright, let's take a break." She chucked her backpack down on the ground as she scavenged through it, trying to find the last bits of food.

Their group had packed each person with enough food to last them for the entire two weeks, as they had discovered all of the secret hiding places that people had stored their food before the _Flare_ had taken over them.

Sonya let the girl sit down before she went over to Harriett, sitting down beside her as she pulled out food from her backpack. "How many more miles?" she asked and Harriet shrugged her shoulders, looking at the distance they had left to travel.

"Five, give or take…I really hope this isn't just another stupid test and that there really is no _Safe Haven_ ," Harriet said as she looked at the rest of her group. As she inspected each and every one of them, she noticed something seemed off.

"Where's Leo and Thomas?" she asked, making Sonya's eyes widen.

"Did they escape?" she asked and Harriet shock her head.

"Where would they go? There's nothing out here for miles…You don't think Teresa took them, do you?"

Sonya glanced around, Teresa's absence making her worried. "She hasn't come back since she stormed out earlier…Maybe she did take them."

"Shit," Harriet cursed as she stood back up. "What are we supposed to do now? They're probably dead by now. Especially if she's got her hands on them."

"Maybe they just backtracked to find their group?" Sonya suggested. "After all, there was nothing stopping from leaving. We did technically free them."

"I really hope that's what they did..."

Sonya glanced at her group before she looked back at Harriet. "Should we keep going? Or should we go looking for them?"

Harriet paused for a minute, thinking deeply. Of course she wanted to save those two, but she had her entire group behind her depending on them to lead them to safety. She shook her head.

"No, we keep going…We keep going…"

…

[The Journey – Group A]

Jezebel stared at the rising sun that was finally approaching. The night had been long and silent as most of the _Gladers_ just walked. None of them spoke a word. He wondered if his Group had made it to the _Safe Haven_ already. He knew they had located it quite soon into their journey, but he wondered if Leo and Thomas were holding them back.

"Hey, keep moving _shank_ ," Minho said as he patted him on the back as he walked past, the rest of the _Gladers_ following suit. They were coming towards a ridiculously large hill that they knew they would have to climb over.

"Is that where the _Safe Haven_ is?" Newt asked, wiping the sweat from his brow as he stared at the top of the hill, which seemed almost too far to reach.

"I have no _shucking_ idea. For our sake, I hope so," Minho replied as he held onto his backpack tighter, taking in deep breaths to prepare himself for the dreaded climb that would await them.

He turned around to the rest of the _Gladers_ , making them stop as they watched him. He sighed, before he started to speak. "Okay, so over this giant, shucking hell is the _Safe Haven_ -"

"Or what we think is the _Safe Haven_ ," Newt interrupted, which earnt him a glare from Minho.

"I was doing fine on my own, but whatever…Anyway, hold onto your backpacks tight gentlemen, cause this climb might end up killing us. Some might not make it out alive…"

"Just start climbing the bloody thing," Newt smirked as he pushed Minho forward, interrupting his speech once more.

"Geez, just wanted to make this more exciting," Minho grumbled as he started climbing up the steep hill. It was entirely covered by sand, and only a few steps in did he slip and fall onto his stomach.

Some of the _Gladers_ at the back of the group laughed as Newt went to help Minho, but as he pulled him up ended up falling down as well. "Would you shanks bloody help us?" Newt asked, feeling the pressure on his leg as he tried to push both him and Minho up the sandy hill.

Frypan was the next one to try and climb the hill, and he was much slower than the others, preventing him falling flat on his face. Then went Clint, then Jezebel, followed by Edwin and Neil and finally Jorge and Brenda.

The two were strangely silent ever since Thomas and Leo had been taken by Group B, mostly neither of them saying a word to anyone else besides each other. Maybe something was coming up that they knew about, or maybe that had just given up hope that Thomas and Leo would survive?

"This is a _shucking_ nightmare!" Minho cursed as he tried running up, but his feet would get caught inside the big piles of sand, and he would trip over his own feet.

"Huh, the _Runner_ can't run up a hill," Frypan said with a chuckle as he continued slowly walking up, taking careful steps to make sure he didn't fall. While the others were constantly stumbling, getting stuck in the sand or simply falling over, he observed his steps carefully.

He eventually pulled in front of the others, surprising Minho the most. He was a _Runner_ for Christ sakes, and a sandy hill seemed to be the biggest obstacle he ever faced.

They climbed up this hill for about an hour before Frypan finally reached the top, not having fallen over once. He smirked triumphantly as he watched the other _Gladers_ still continuing to struggle.

"See, the Cook can do something," Frypan announced.

"Oh shut up," Minho grumbled as he collapsed onto the sand, giving up.

…

[The Journey – Group B]

Group B continued their journey, finally reaching the end of the hill. The group of girls sighed with relief, all exhausted as they stopped to take another break. None of them had any idea how long they had been travelling for, but they knew that it had been long enough for the sun to reach what they assumed was in the middle of the afternoon.

After taking a long break to eat and drink, they soon went back to travelling. They could see a giant mountain awaiting them, and they knew they would have to take another treacherous journey before they would make it to the Safe Haven.

Harriet looked up at the mountain, wondering how long it would take for them to climb it. Luckily, they had another day awaiting them before the deadline, so they could waste some time on this mountain.

"No need for us to rush," she announced to the group. "We've still got one more day."

Sonya nodded as she led the group this time, taking the first step on the mountain. It was much stepper than the hill they had just finished climbing over, and she knew her legs would end up burning from the long walk.

"Eat and drink as much as you can today. We'll need all our strength for this."

The wind started to pick up, the dust smacking them in the face. Sonya had to hold onto her backpack in fear that it would fly away in the harsh winds. Their clothes slammed against their bodies, almost like it was being ripped straight off them.

"Is there any shelter nearby?" she screamed over the raging wind, but Harriet shook her head.

"I don't see anything, and I'm not climbing over that hill again!" Harriet yelled as she looked around, trying to find something to protect them until the wind eventually calmed down.

"Just hide under the trees!" one of the girls screamed as she held onto her hair, afraid it would be ripped from her head.

"Go! Over there!" Harriet said as she spotted the large group of trees. She knew hiding under trees during a storm was not the safest idea or even the smartest idea, but they had no other choice.

There were no buildings. Not even a hole in the mountain to hide in.

The Group quickly rushed over to the cluster of trees, hoping to god they would survive the harsh winds. The sun was still blazing, so there was no sign of the thunder and lightning from earlier. They wondered how long the winds would last, and how much it would delay their travel to the _Safe Haven_.

Harriet made the group form a tight circle to protect themselves, all of them trying to huddle together to not only keep the warmth that started to fade from the cold winds, but also to keep them all together in case they did blow away.

Harriet, though she didn't believe she was religious, prayed to whatever god there was that they would survive and make it to the _Safe Haven_.

…

[The Dream World – Leo]

 _Where the hell are we now? Are we in another bloody dream?_

 **You know, there's only so much of this bullshit that we can take…I feel like I'm going to explode.**

"You feel like you're going to explode?" Leo asked, knowing she probably looked crazy to anyone around her. "How the hell do you think I feel? I'm got bloody voices screaming at me in my head!"

 _That's not our fault. It's not like we wanted to be here either…_

 **Yeah, if you didn't notice, we were placed here to make you go insane.**

"You think I don't know about WICKED's sick games? You think I don't know about all the shit they've been trying to pull on me recently? Giving me these voices…Controlling my mind…Injecting me with strange drugs that make me hallucinate…You're nothing special…You're just some sick invention by them to make me go insane."

 _We are real, you know? Just because WICKED put us here doesn't mean we're not real…_

 **We know about everything you're feeling…We know everything you're doing…We are really here, and there's nothing you can do to make us go away…**

Leo screamed as she held onto her head, feeling like her brain was going to explode. Her brain felt like it was slamming into her skull, trying to push it out of her head. It hurt so much that she fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes.

"Leave me alone!" she cried, wanting to rip her hair out in hopes of getting rid of the increasing pain. The pain trickled down to her eyes, making her head throb anytime she looked anywhere. It made her chest hurt as she tried to breathe.

It made her feel like she was dying.

She opened her eyes and saw three shadowy figures standing before her, all staring straight at her. She screamed again she crawled backwards, trying to get as far away from them as she could.

One was shaped as a middle aged man, but his fists were curled as if he was very angry, almost as if he was ready to attack at any second.

The second was shaped like an old, small man who had a hunched back, making him look very depressed.

The third figure was a small, young child who was clutching onto something, which was shaped similar to teddy bear.

 _See, we're real. We're so real that you can see us._

The first figure stepped forward, giving her the indication that he was the one speaking to her.

"Stop it…"

 **There's nothing you can do to get rid of us. Even in death we'll still be with you…**

The second figure stepped forward, his English accent filling her ears as she moved her hands to her head again.

"Please, stop it…"

Do it! Do it! Kill us! Kill us please!

The third figure stepped forward, the screaming child's voice haunting her every thought.

"Stop it…Stop it…STOP IT!" she screamed as she lunged at them, a new burst of energy coursing through her veins as she continued to scream. She slammed her body into the first figure, his blood-curdling scream filling her ears as she pushed him into the wall. Once his back hit the wall, his body shattering like glass as he exploded into pieces.

She screamed as she charged for the second figure, who tried to attack her first but didn't succeed. She punched the figure straight in the head, his head shattering around her. His body remained though as he used his arms to push her backwards. She growled like an animal hunting it's pray as she kicked him in the stomach, shattering the rest of his body. He screamed out as the only one left was the child like figure.

But Leo didn't care. She jumped into the air as she landed on the figure's back, using her nails and digging into the figure's head. The child screamed out in agony, but it only fuelled Leo's anger as she started clawing at the child's body as it fell down, becoming completely helpless under Leo's sharp nails and piercing screams.

Finally, the child's body exploded as it shattered all around her, the black remains falling all around her as she was left in silence. Her head had stopped throbbing, and the pain was finally gone.

She moved her hands to her head, wondering what had come over her. She had turned into an animal and had basically killed whatever those things had been. If she was hallucinating, they might have been real people she killed and she wouldn't know until she woke up.

She felt her hand start twitching, her fingers starting to move. She felt like she could breathe once again and then she opened her eyes…


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:**

Scorch: Betrayal or an Act? Who Bloody Knows…

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part One – The Scorch Trials

She felt short of breath as she pushed herself to sit up, noticing how dark it was around her. She wondered if this was just another dream that WICKED made, another side effect of the drug they had given her.

She could low whispers surrounding her, and that was all she heard as she tried to figure out where she was. It was like sandpaper was scrapping her ears as she held her head. Her head was throbbing, but there were no voices.

She could feel tears forming in her eyes at the thought. They had been driving her insane for so long, and the silence was like a breath of fresh air. She felt like whatever chains had been holding her down were gone, and she felt like she could breathe probably once again.

She used her arms to balance herself as she sat up, noticing how weak they felt as they shook under her weight. How long had she been out? Her entire body felt weak, like the drug had knocked all of her strength out of her.

The dreams she had. They had felt so real, yet so obviously fake at the same time. She wondered if she had actually been running around, screaming and crying the entire time, but just under WICKED's hallucinations.

"Leo!" a voice cried as an entire body jumped onto her. She gasped as she felt arms wrapping around her body, wet patches forming on her shirt. Tears. She looked down and noticed a still bruised and beaten Emil hugging her with so much hidden strength that she felt like her arms would break.

"E-Emil?" she asked and he nodded his head into her shirt, shaking as sobs took over him. From all the times he had tried to kill her, she had almost forgotten how much he had actually cared for her through the Maze and more recently. "T-The voices are gone," she whispered, making Emil slowly push himself from her.

"W-What? How?" His eyes widened at the thought. Maybe he had gotten rid of his too, or maybe he was still stuck with them tormenting him?

"I fought them off. I killed them…All of them…"

Emil was silent, but he latched onto her again. She wondered how much he must have been worrying while she was out.

"Y-You were screaming….and crying…so much…It was-"

"Shh, it's alright," she shushed him, feeling like suddenly everything would be okay. Only until she remembered there were other people in the room.

Just then, Thomas opened his eyes from the other side of the room, face down on the ground. He was still inside the room they had thrown him in before they had drugged her. Expect there was no green glow around the door.

Emil helped her to her feet as they watched Thomas push his hands underneath him, getting to a sitting position. He looked around, sitting there for a few minutes before he pounded on the door.

"Hey! Anyone out there?"

Leo's legs shook, but she didn't let that stop her as she and Emil both rushed over to the glass room. Thomas saw them running, and his eyes almost lit up at the sight of them. There was a smile on her face as she reached the door, revealed to see him alive.

"Oh my god. Are you okay?" she asked through the door, and he gave a hesitant nod.

"Yeah, I think so…Are you?"

She gave a quick nod before she looked for the opening to the door. She felt a sudden tap on her shoulder, and she screamed as she turned around, ready to fight.

It was Teresa, her face stained with tears. She quickly gave Leo a giant hug as she hit the button with her other hand. Leo's body stiffened, wondering what kind of tricks she was playing now.

Teresa had never been nice to her, she had always disliked her.

Why the hell would she hug her now?

Teresa removed herself from the rug as she stood in front of the door. There was a crack and a hiss as the door opened, revealing Thomas' widened eyes at the sight of her.

Once the door had opened up far enough, she lunged and threw her arms around him, pressing her face into his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Tom," she cried. "I'm so, so, so sorry. They said they'd kill you if we didn't do everything just like they told us. No matter how horrible. I'm sorry, Tom!"

Thomas didn't saw a word, and he didn't move his arms to hug her. Leo and Emil stood beside each other, shocked, but still sceptical. There was no way through everything they had been through that she would believe _anything_ Teresa said.

Even if what she had to say was true.

Thomas pushed Teresa away. "Uh…maybe you should tell me what happened."

"I told you to trust me," she replied. "I told you that bad, bad things would happen to you. But the bad stuff was all an act." She smiled.

"Yeah, but you didn't seem to struggle too much, beating the klunk out of me with a spear and throwing me into a gas chamber."

"Or stabbing me in the shoulder, kidnapping me and drugging me," Leo said with her arms folded, staring daggers into Teresa's back. She turned her head to give her a glance, her face riddled with both confusion and maybe a slight bit of guilt.

But Leo had learned that everyone could fake sincerity.

Everyone.

Another hand touched her shoulder, and she looked to see Aris standing there, looking embarrassed as if he felt that he had walked in on a private conversation.

"I'm sorry," he said. He looked guiltier than Teresa did, that's for sure.

"Why didn't you tell me we knew each other before?" Thomas asked.

"What…"

"It was all an act, Tom," Teresa said. "You have to believe us. We were promised from the very beginning that you wouldn't die. That this chamber thing had its own purposes and then it'd be over. I'm so sorry."

Thomas looked at the half open door. "I think I need some time to process all of this."

Teresa looked over at Leo again, noticing the hole in her shirt at her shoulder. "I'm sorry Leo, I'm so sorry. We were told the same, we would die if we didn't hurt you. Even in the _Maze_ …If I didn't pretend to hate you, they'd hurt all of us. I'm sorry…Really, I am…"

Leo shook her head. "Like I'd believe anything you say. You think that after all the shit you've done to me – to us – that I'd just forgive you at the drop of a bloody hat?" Emil tugged on her sleeve, telling her to stop.

"You're getting too angry. You know, in your state and the uncontrollable anger you seem to be developing recently, lashing out at Teresa might not be the best thing for you, mentally and physically-"

Leo gave him a smile, rustling his hair. "Welcome back, little nerd."

"What happened in there, anyway?" Teresa asked Thomas, breaking the nice reunion moment between the two.

"How about you talk first, then me. I think I earned that much."

Teresa reached for his hand, but he moved it before she could, pretending to scratch his neck. Hurt flashed across her face for a second.

"Look, you're right. You deserve an explanation. I think its okay to tell you everything now – not that we know too much of the way."

Aris cleared his throat. "But, um, we better do it while walking. Or running. We only have a few hours left. Today is the day."

Now Leo really wondered how long she had been out for. How many days? It had to be more than one. Two? The thought made her feel sick, that Emil was stuck sitting there for more than a day, wondering if either of them were going to be okay.

And those two just sat and watched, doing nothing to help them.

Leo really hoped that her group had found the _Safe Haven_ , or at least were close enough to it they would reach it in time. A slither of worry trailed up her spine, hoping that she would be able to see them again.

To see Newt again.

"Fine. Let's just forget this for now," Thomas said. "Is there anything different out there? I mean, I saw it in the dark, but-"

"We know," Teresa interrupted. "There's no sign of a building. Nothing. It looks even worse in the daylight. Just forever and ever of flat wasteland. There isn't a tree or a hill, much less any _Safe Haven_."

"Then what're we supposed to do?" Thomas asked.

"Where do we go?" Leo begged, needing an answer to calm herself. The thought that none of them would make it out of the _Scorch_ , and that they all would contract the _Flare_ and turn into those creatures made her stomach do flips.

"Have you seen any of the others?" Thomas asked.

"All of the girls from my group are down there, walking north like they're supposed to, already a couple miles out. We spotted your friends at the base of the mountain a mile or two west of here. Can't tell for sure, but looks like no one new is missing, and they're heading in the same direction as the girls."

Leo felt like she could breathe once again. They were all going the right way. They were alive. The thought almost made a smile come to her face.

"We gotta get moving," Teresa said. "Just because nothing's there doesn't mean anything. Who knows what WICKED is up to? We just have to do what they told us. Come on."

"Okay, let's go. But you better tell me everything you know."

"I will. You guys up for running once we're out of these dead trees?"

Aris nodded, but Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Please. I'm a _Runner_."

"Did you forget that I am too?" Leo asked, giving him a smirk.

Teresa raised an eyebrow at the two. "Well, then, we'll just have to see who stops before who."

Thomas, Leo and Emil quickly stepped outside, neither of them wanting to remain in there any longer than they had to. They stepped out of the clearing and into the dead forest.

It was morning, but the sky didn't lighten up as it drifted on. The clouds came in, grey and thick, most likely filled with a lot of rain and possible thunder and lightning.

She really hoped another storm wouldn't happen right at the end of their journey. They had lost a lot of people in that storm, and the thought of the lightning made her shiver.

Once they had exited the dead pack of trees, they continued down a trail that led towards a valley below them. It was very steep, and running down this would end up in someone ending up with a broken leg or ankle. That would mean that it take a few hours at a walking pace.

Aris went down first, then followed by Leo and Emil, then Thomas, and finally Teresa at the back.

The clouds became even darker as the wind started spiralling, blowing the dust from the _Scorch_ into her face, making it harder to see. But she could see the _Gladers_ close to the base of the mountain, and Group B a mile or two in front of them.

"So, guess I'll start the story from where we left off," Teresa spoke from the back, obviously talking only to Thomas. But Leo couldn't help but eavesdrop, wondering what type of excuse she would use.

"It all started right when we were talking to each other in the middle of the night – that very first night after the rescue from the _Maze_. I was kind of half asleep and then these people were in my room, all dressed funny. Creepy. Baggy jumpsuits and goggles."

"Serious?" Thomas asked.

"Freaked me out – and I tried calling to you, but it suddenly cut out. The telepathy thing, I mean. I don't know how I knew, but it just vanished. From then until now it's only come and gone in spurts."

Then the two went silent. Leo turned her head slightly, but the two were walking like normal, neither of them looking at each other. She realised they must have been talking to each other in their minds.

Why was Thomas seemingly so trusting of her? Or at least pretending to be?

"Go-" Thomas started, but he quickly stopped himself.

Then it went silent again.

"Why'd you guys stop talking?" Aris asked, thinking the same sort of things as Leo. What kind of things were they discussing in secret? "You yappin' about me in those pretty little heads of yours?"

"Shut up Aris," Leo said, giving him a glare at his playful comment. She wasn't in the mood for jokes, she just wanted to see her friends alive.

"I can't believe this. You two've been-" Thomas started, but stopped, realising that he wasn't as surprised as he had originally thought. " _Shuck_ it. Just keep talking."

"All right," Teresa said. "There's a lot of stuff to explain, so from now on just keep quiet and listen. Got it?"

Leo could feel her legs burning from the steepness of the hill, and she wondered how much further until they reached the bottom.

"Okay, but…how do you know when you're talking to me and when you're talking to him? How does that work?"

"It just does. That's like me asking how you know when you're telling your right leg to move and when you're telling your left leg to move. I just…know. It's built into my brain somehow."

"So you're saying that it's instinctive. That you're brain's been trained to tell the difference between the two?" Leo asked, rolling her eyes at the thought.

"Yes. Exactly."

"We've done it, too, man," Aris said. "Don't you remember?"

"Of course I remember," Thomas muttered, both annoyed and frustrated. "All right, I'll keep my mouth and brain shut. Keep going."

"We can talk about Aris and me later. I don't even remember what we spoke out about – I lost almost everything when I woke up. Our comas had to be part of the _Variables_ , so maybe we could communicate just so we wouldn't go crazy. I mean, we were part of setting it all up, right?"

"Setting it all up?" Thomas asked. "I don't"

A slapping sound came from behind her, followed by a "Thought you were gonna be quiet?"

"Yeah," Thomas grumbled.

"Anyway, these people came into my room dressed in those creepy outfits and my telepathy with you cut off. I was scared and only half awake. Part of me thought it was just a bad nightmare. Then the next thing I knew, they put something over my mouth that smelled horrible and then I passed out. When I woke up I was lying in a bed in a different room and a bunch of people were sitting in chairs on the opposite side of this weird glass wall. I couldn't see it until I touched it – almost like a force field or something."

"Yeah, we had something like that, too."

"So then they started talking to me. That's when they told me this whole plan of what Aris and I had to do to you—and they expected me to tell him. By, you know, speaking in his mind, even though he was now with your group. Our group. Group A. They took me from my room and sent me to be with Group B; then they told us about the mission to the safe haven, about having the _Flare_. We were scared, confused, but we had no choice. We went through these underground tunnels until we got to the mountains—we avoided the city altogether. When you and I met in that little building, and then everything that happened from the time we came down to you in the valley with all those weapons—all of that was planned."

She wondered how much of what she was saying was true, and how much she was making up to try and get sympathy from Thomas.

"I only know two things for sure. One, they said that if I did anything against their plan they'd kill you. Said they 'had other options,' whatever that means. The second thing I know is that the reason for all this was that you had to truly and absolutely feel betrayed. The whole purpose of what we did to you was to ensure that that happened."

Then, silence overcame then and the only thing that could be heard was the sound of their shoes hitting the ground.

"Do you believe her?" Leo whispered in Emil's ear, who only shrugged in response.

"I didn't have her trying to kill me, so I don't think I can rightly judge that," Emil whispered back, and she nodded her head. He was right though. Was she just being biased because of what she might have been "forced" to do? Or was her gut feeling being truthful?

"So?" Teresa eventually asked.

"So…what?" Thomas replied.

"So what do you think?"

"That's it? That's your whole explanation? I'm supposed to feel all happy now?"

"Tom, I couldn't take any chances. I was convinced they'd kill you unless I went along. No matter what, in the end you had to feel like I'd completely betrayed you. That's why I put so much into it. But why this was all so important? I have no idea."

"Well, you sure were good at it. What about in that building? When you kissed me? And…why did Aris need to be involved in all this?"

The two suddenly stopped walking, making Leo turn her head to see what had happened. Teresa had grabbed him by the arm, making him turn to face her.

"They had everything calculated. All for the Variables. I don't know how it all fits together."

Thomas shook his head. "Well, none of this crap makes any sense to me. And excuse me for feeling a little ticked off."

"Did it work?"

"Huh?"

"For some reason they wanted you betrayed, and it worked. Right?"

"You're such a bitch," Leo growled at her as she started walking again.

"I said I was sorry! What more do you want from me?"

"A sincere apology…"

"Yeah. It did," Thomas muttered, making Teresa look at him again.

"I'm sorry for what I did. But you're alive, and so am I. And so is Aris. And Leo."

"Yeah."

"WICKED got what they want, and I got what I want…Aris, turn around, face the valley. You too Leo."

"What?" Aris asked.

"Why should I do what you say?" Leo asked.

"Just do it."

Aris sighed and rolled his eyes, but turned around with his back to them. He grabbed hold of Leo's arm and spun her around. But that didn't stop her from turning her head.

She watched as Teresa wrapped her arms around Thomas' neck and kissed him. But he didn't look like he was enjoying it.

It looked like he wanted her to move.

The wind quickly intensified, making Leo almost lose her balance as her clothes began whipping in the wind. Thunder rumbled in the dark sky, and Thomas pulled away from Teresa.

"Guess I got it – you did a bunch of weird stuff, but you were forced to, and now I'm alive. That's it, right?"

"That's about it."

"Then I'm gonna quit thinking about it. We need to catch up with the others."

"If you say so."

"Are you guys done up there?" Aris yelled, still facing the other way. Leo quickly turned her head, making sure they hadn't caught her spying.

"Yes!" she called. "And don't expect me to ever kiss you on the cheek again. I think my lips have a fungus now."

Thomas quickly rushed past them, making Leo rush to catch up with him. "You didn't mean any of the stuff you just said, right?" she whispered to him.

"I'll stop thinking about it, but it doesn't mean I don't get it," was all he said, and it gave her a little relief. He still was unsure of whether to trust her or not, and that little doubt would help them if she ever tried to pull something on them again.

…

It took one more hour before they got the bottom of the mountain. The slop levelled a little as they got closer, letting them run to get down faster. They jogged for the last mile, the wind making it hard to see as Leo squinted her eyes.

She had to drag Emil along with her, her speed being no match for him.

Her eyes stung from the dust and dirt being flown, and no matter how she wiped her eyes, it still itched. She knew at least one of her eyes probably looked red and puffy.

"They're just walking up there," Teresa said, pointing ahead. "Why aren't they running?"

"Because we still have over three hours until the deadline," Aris said, looking down at his watch. "Unless we totally figured wrong, the _Safe Haven_ should only be a few miles from this side of the mountains. But I don't see anything. By the way they're dragging, they obviously can't see it, either. It must not be there – they don't have anything to run to but more desert."

Aris looked up the blackening sky. "Looks ugly up there. What if we get another one of those nice lightning storms?"

"That's just what I was thinking," Leo muttered.

"We'd be better off staying in the mountains if that happens," Thomas said, looking over at Leo. Both knew how horrible the storm had been, how the lightning had just burnt people to a crisp as they screamed and suffered.

"Let's just catch up to them," Teresa said. "Then we can figure out what to do." She turned to the four, putting her hands on her hips. "You guys ready?"

"Yeah," Thomas said. Aris just shrugged in response. Leo and Emil didn't say a word, but Teresa took that as a yes anyway.

"Then let's run." Then she took off into a sprint, Aris following close behind her.

"Come on, let's go!" Leo yelled at Thomas as she started sprinting, almost feeling like she was running through the _Maze_. Thomas quickly followed, having to help Emil every now and then catch up to them.

After twenty minutes of running, Leo felt tired. The wind was forcing her to work twice as hard as she ever had during her "peaceful" runs in the _Maze_ , and the thought worried her. She had nearly collapsed every time she had come out of the _Maze_ , making her worry about what might happen to her now.

…

She could see the two groups meeting up in the distance, yet there seemed to be no attack or any fight that occurred. Group B reached the point of what everyone assumed was the Safe Haven, and then stopped.

The _Gladers_ quickly changed their direction and went east to meet up with them. They were only half a mile away, all standing around something in a tight circle.

Leo didn't wait for anyone else as she started running even faster, not caring that her legs were burning or that she was almost out of breath. She wanted to see them. She needed to see them.

And she was so close…


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR:**

Scorch: The Strangely Unsafe Safe Haven…

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part Two – The Scorch Trials

It was only a few minutes walking through the rough winds before the five reached Groups A and B. Leo pushed through first, the most excited to see her friends again. Nearly dying so many times in the blink of an eye, and not being anywhere near them made her appreciate them even more than she already did.

She sent everyone a smile and some a hug as she passed, really only desperate to meet one of them. She could see Newt's growing smile from the other side, making her cheeks flush red.

"I knew you'd be alive," Newt said as he pulled her in for a hug, his grip showing how protective he was. She felt like all the weight was off her shoulders as she stood wrapped in his arms, and even though it was warm outside, she didn't seem to mind anymore.

She could feel sweet kisses on her neck, and she almost felt tears forming in her eyes, realising how much she had missed him. None of the other Gladers said anything, but they sent Newt some smiles, and some of them winks as they pointed at her.

But neither of them cared at that moment, as they were finally back together after so many days a part. Even when they separated from their hug, he kept an arm around her to keep her close.

Minho stepped out from the large group, standing facing them with his arms folded and his hair greasy. But, he was smiling.

"It's about time you slowpokes caught up with us!" Minho yelled over the wind, making the five of them finally stop in their tracks.

"I thought you'd be fightin' tooth and nail with these girls after what they did to us. To me, anyway," Thomas said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Well, first of all, they have nastier weapons, not to mention bows and arrows. Plus, some chick named Harriet explained everything. We're the ones who should be surprised – that you're still with them." He glared over at Teresa and Aris. "Never trusted either one of those _shuck_ traitors."

"They're on our side. Trust me."

Leo could feel herself rolling her eyes, just at the mere thought that Thomas could possibly still trust them. Maybe what he had told her had been a cover up for what he really felt, knowing how she felt.

Minho laughed bitterly. "Figured you'd say something like that. Let me guess, it's a long story?"

"Yeah, very long story," Thomas said.

"Not long enough to earn my trust," Leo said as she stood beside them, Newt right by her side as she folded her arms.

"Good to have you back _shank_ ," Minho said as he ruffled her hair. "Nice hair, by the way." He gave her a wink, which made her roll her eyes with a smile.

"Can't say the same for you though," she replied.

"Ouch, that one really hurt." Minho smirked.

"Why'd you all stop here?" Thomas asked, changing the subject. "What's everybody looking at?"

Minho stepped aside, sweeping his arm. "Have a peeky-peek yourself." He then yelled at the two groups, "You guys make a path!"

Several of the group looked back, slowly shuffling to the side until they formed a narrow path to let them through. Leo quickly saw what everyone was looking at.

A stick poking out of the ground. An orange ribbon hanging from the top, letters printed on the banner.

 **THE SAFE HAVEN.**

"Are you _shucking_ kidding me?" Leo muttered to herself, though she could barely hear it over the roaring wind. Thomas fell to his knees beside her, reaching out to touch orange ribbon.

"A stick! Our _Safe Haven_ is a _shucking_ stick?!" Leo screamed, while Thomas just remained silent. They had gone through so much, everything they had gone through only to be "saved" by a stupid stick.

A stick for crying out loud.

"We have over an hour left. Our _Safe Haven_ is a stick in the ground?" Thomas asked, finally voicing the same thoughts as Leo.

"Wasn't so bad, when you think about it," Mino said. "More than half of us made it here. Looks like even more of the girlie group."

Thomas stood up. "The _Flare_ turn you crazy already? Yeah, we got here. Safe and sound. To a stick."

"A _shucking_ stick!" Leo screamed again.

"You need to calm down," Newt said as he held her back from almost lashing out at everyone around them.

Minho scoffed. "Dude, they wouldn't send us here for no reason. We made it in the time they gave us. Now we just wait until the clock ticks down and something'll happen."

"That's what worries me," Thomas said.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with Thomas," Teresa said, interrupting their conversation. "After everything they've done to us, it'd be way too easy to have a little sign here, and then they come get us in a nice helicopter as a reward. Something bad's gonna happen."

"You mean after everything _you've_ done to _us_ ," Leo said with a glare.

"Yeah, whatever you say, _traitor_ ," Minho said, his face filled with anger. "I don't want to hear another word from you."

He walked away, dragging Newt and Leo with him. He seemed to be even angrier than Leo was, and she was the one who had been stabbed and beaten.

"How's your shoulder?" Newt asked as he helped her sit down, knowing how exhausted she must have been.

"Its fine, I guess. Still kind of hurts," she replied as she touched it, hissing at the burning pain it brought. But unless she touched it or someone else did, it didn't hurt much besides a dull little ache.

Newt and Minho sat down, forming a circle as Frypan also joined them.

"Geez, don't you look worse for wear," Frypan said with a grin, and she lightly punched him in the arm.

"Oh shush, you would too if you'd been through half the shit I went through," she replied.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

She shrugged. "What were you supposed to do?"

" _You shouldn't be surprised,"_ they heard Thomas say to Teresa, obviously her being shocked by Minho's outburst.

" _I'm sick of apologising. I did what I had to do,"_ she said annoyed.

"God, what a pretentious-" Minho started.

"Oh calm down would you," Leo interrupted.

" _Whatever. I need to find Newt. I want-"_

But before he could finish his sentence, Brenda walked over to them, glancing between Teresa and Thomas.

"This is gonna get awkward," Frypan muttered. "She was so desperate to find Thomas, and now she sees that…"

" _Brenda,"_ Thomas said, sounding guilty.

" _Hey there,"_ she said as she stood in front of him and Teresa. _"This the girl you were tellin' me about? When you and I were snuggling in that truck?"_

"Snuggling?" Leo questioned.

"Of course he the one that gets some action," Minho said annoyed.

" _Yeah. No. I mean…yeah."_

Teresa held her hand out of Brenda, who grabbed it and shook it.

" _I'm Teresa."_

" _Nice to meet you,"_ Brenda said. _"I'm a Crank. I'm slowly going crazy. I keep wanting to chew off my own fingers and randomly kill people. Thomas here promised here to save me."_ A smile never appeared on her face, even though it was obvious that she was joking.

It made Leo like her even more.

" _Funny, Brenda,"_ Thomas said.

" _Glad to see you still have a sense of humour about it,"_ Teresa said, but she had a very harsh glare on her face, like she was trying to kill her by staring at her.

Thomas looked back down at his watch. _"I, um, need to talk to Newt."_

He turned away and walked away quickly before either of the girls could say anything to him. Leo wanted to laugh at the sight, but she didn't have the energy to bother.

He was walking towards them now, the wind gaining moisture as the clouds started churning above them. There were sudden flashes every now and again in the sky, patches of purple and orange in the black clouds.

A storm was coming. Everyone in the groups could feel it.

"Hey, Tommy," Newt said once Thomas had reached them. Thomas sat down on the other side of him and wrapped his arms around his knees.

"Glad to see you guys made it here," Thomas said.

Frypan snorted. "Same back at ya. Looks like you had more fun, though. Hangin' with your love goddess. Guess you two kissed and made up?"

Leo glanced at Thomas, wondering if he knew that she had seen them kissing before they went down the mountain.

"Not exactly," Thomas said. "It wasn't fun."

"Well, what happened?" Minho asked. "How can you trust her after all that?"

"That's what I would like to know," Leo said, making Thomas gulp. He was very hesitant before he started telling the boys about everything that he had gone through, every now and again mentioning what had happened to Leo.

WICKED's plan, the camp, Group B, the gas chamber, and the hallucinogenic drugs given to Leo. Everything. Expect of course the kiss Teresa and Thomas shared.

"And you forgave that witch?" Minho asked once he had finished talking. "I won't. Whatever those _shuck_ WICKED people wanna do, fine by me. Whatever you wanna do, fine by me. But I don't trust her, I don't trust Aris, and I don't like either one of them."

"They went through all that – all that planning and acting – just to make you feel betrayed? Doesn't make any bloody sense," Newt said.

"Tell me about it," Thomas muttered. "And no, I haven't forgiven her. But for now I think we're in the same boat."

"I personally don't care about our situation right now. For all I know, she could be planning to do something else to us before we get rescued," Leo said and Minho nodded.

"Exactly. Finally, someone shares my opinions."

It went quiet for a moment as most of the people had sat down by now in their own groups, though not much conversation was happening.

"What about you guys?" Thomas asked, changing the subject again. "How'd you make it here?"

"Found a gap through the mountains," Minho answered. "Had to fight through some _Cranks_ camping in a cave, but other than that, no problems. Food and water's almost out, though. And my feet hurt. And I'm pretty sure another big bolt of _shuck_ lightning's about to come down and make me look like a piece of Frypan's bacon."

"Again," Leo said. "At least you're burns got better."

"Yeah," Thomas said, looking over at the mountains. "Maybe we should bag this whole _Safe Haven_ thing and try to find shelter."

"No way," Newt cut in. "We didn't come this far to go back now. Let's just hope the buggin' storm holds of a little longer." He looked up at the black clouds, grimacing at the sight.

The rest of them had now gone quiet as they waited for the time to tick down. The wind kept increasing, roaring at them as it almost made Leo fall over. Leo glanced down at Newt's watch, noticing they had only thirty-five minutes left.

As she looked at the sky again, she knew there was no way the storm would hold off until then.

"What's that?" Minho shouted, jumping up to his feet as he pointed at something in Thomas' direction.

Leo quickly pushed herself to her feet, noticing the pure terror on Minho's face. About thirty feet from them, a large portion of the desert was…

Opening.

A perfect square formed as the dirt-packed side slowly spun away from the group, showing them what laid underneath. It groaned, twisted and pierced their ears, shrieking louder than the howling wind.

Soon, it stopped rotating and fully flipped over, replacing the desert floor with a layer of black material with an object sitting on top. A weird object.

It was rectangular and white, but had rounded edges on it. She, for some reason, recognised these strange objects. Glancing at the other _Gladers_ , she knew that she wasn't the only one.

The _Maze_. After they had fallen down the _Griever Hole_ , they had seen several of those strange, almost coffin like containers. She had barely seen them during that time, but as she stared at it, she wondered if these containers were what WICKED kept the _Grievers_ in when they weren't in the _Maze_.

More sections of the desert – surrounding their group in a large circle – started to rotate, opening up like dark jaws. Dozens of them.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:**

Scorch: The Light Orange Bulbous Creatures (Part One)…

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part Three – The Scorch Trials

The squealing of metal was deafening as the squares slowly spun around, showing the black material on the other side. Leo held her hands to her ears, trying to drone out the horrific noise. The others around her were doing the same, the noise becoming too much for all of them.

All around them were the squares evenly spread out, fully circling around the area in which they stood. Patches of the desert ground rotated until they disappeared, each one of them being replaced with the large black squares. They settled with a loud clank, one of the bulbous white coffins resting on the top.

There were at least thirty of them.

The large scream of metal rubbing against metal finally stopped. No one spoke. The wind ripped all over the land, blowing dust and dirt straight at them and the rounded containers. It made a gritty beeping sound.

There was so much of them that it all blended into a noise that made Leo's skin crawl, squinting to keep the giant specks of dust out of her eyes. Nothing else had moved since the rounded containers appeared.

Only the sound, and wind, and the freezing cold, and her stinging eyes.

She wondered why these rounded containers were being shown to them. What were they supposed to do to them? Were these containers supposed to be the _Safe Haven_? Were they supposed to just climb inside of them and wait until WICKED picked them up?

There were so many questions that needed to be answered, but she didn't know if they would ever be answered.

"What the hell are those?" Leo yelled over the roaring winds.

"I have no bloody idea!" Newt shouted back as he shielded his eyes from the dust. He continued to hold her close, afraid the wind would take her away from how she stumbled every now and then.

"Here comes trouble!" Minho shouted, gesturing over to Teresa, who was walking over to them. Once she reached them, she nudged Newt, almost in a greeting. Noticing this, Thomas quickly rushed over to their side.

"So what do we do?" Minho asked, giving Teresa an annoyed look. He wanted her to have nothing to do with any of the decisions they made, and frankly neither did Leo to be honest.

She couldn't trust her.

"If those things have bloody _Grievers_ in 'em, we best start gettin' ready to fight the _shuck_ buggers," Newt said, and Leo nodded.

"I really hope those things are empty," Leo said.

"What're you guys talking about?" Harriet asked.

They turned to see Harriet and Sonya standing behind them, along with Brenda and Jorge as well.

"Oh, great," Minho muttered. "The two queens of glorious Group B."

"I'm assuming you all saw those pods back in your WICKED chamber, too. They had to be where the _Grievers_ charged up or whatever it was they did."

"Yeah," Newt said. "Gotta be that."

Thunder boomed and cracked in the sky above, the big flashes of light growing brighter. The wind almost seemed to tear at everyone's clothes and hair, everything smelling wet, but somehow dusty as well.

"We've only got twenty-five minutes," Thomas said, looking down at his watch. "We're either gonna be fighting _Grievers_ or we need to get inside those big coffins at the right time. Maybe they're the-"

A sharp hiss sounded from all different directions, the sound piercing her ears as she held her hands to her ears again, pressing them against her head as hard as she could.

Movement from the edge surrounding them caught her attention. She watched carefully, staring straight at the large white, rounded containers. A line of dark blue light formed on each side of the container, expanding as the top half began to move upwards.

It opened on the hinges, almost like the lid on a coffin. It made no sound, at least none loud enough to be heard over the roaring wind and the loud thunder.

The _Gladers_ were slowly moving closer together, forming a tight circle. They were all trying to get as far away from the pods as possible, soon making a tight pack of bodies that were encircled by the thirty rounded containers. The lids continued to move until they'd swung open and dropped to the ground.

There was something huge resting inside of each container.

There wasn't much that Leo could see, but she knew that it didn't look anything like a _Griever_. No knives. No spikes. No appendages.

Nothing moved, but she knew that she couldn't let her guard down. She would need to be ready to fight in case _anything_ happened.

"Thomas!" Minho shouted over the wind, his voice barely being heard before the wind drowned his voice out.

"What?" Thomas yelled back.

"You, me, Leo and Newt! Let's go check it out!" he shouted back.

"Are you bloody kidding me? You want me to go near that?" Leo asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"I don't think we have much of a choice!" Newt shouted at her, pulling her even closer as they the four of them were about to go check.

But right before they even took a step forward, something had slipped out of one of the pods.

Gasps formed from all around them as Leo took two quick steps backwards, trying to move as far away from the thing as possible. There were things inside that were constantly, but she could barely make out what they even were.

Whatever the hell the things inside were, they were definitely deciding to leave their rounded "homes".

She focused hard on the closest pod to her, even though she didn't really want to know what was inside, but curiosity got the better of her. A misshapen arm hung over the edge, the hand dangling a few inches above the ground. It had four deformed fingers - more like stubs of beige coloured flesh – none of them being the same length.

They wiggled and grasped out for something that wasn't even there, as if it was searching for something to grab onto to so it could escape.

The arm was covered with wrinkles and giant lumps, something strange located where the elbow was supposed to be. A perfectly rounded protrusion, maybe four inches in width, glowing bright orange. It looked like there were lightbulbs glued to their arms.

The monster continued to emerge, a leg flopping out. Its foot was a fleshly mess, four knobs of toes wriggling. On the knee was another of the impossible orange spheres of light, seeming to grow out of its skin.

"What is that thing?" Minho shouted over the noise, trying to overpower the growing storm.

No one answered.

Everyone was in a daze, all staring at the creature – almost mesmerised, but terrified all at the same time. The creatures were coming out of every single pod – all at the same pace. She quickly looked back at the creature closest to her, wondering how close it had come since she looked away.

It had somehow gained closer with its right arm and leg as they began pulling the rest of its body out of the pod. The thing flopped and wriggled until it had staggered out over the edge of the pod, stumbling down to the ground.

They were roughly human-shaped, though they were at least a metre taller than anyone around Thomas' height, who was at least a few inches taller than her. Its body was naked and very thick, marked and wrinkled.

Most disturbingly was the bulbous growths, maybe about twelve in total, spread all over the creature's body, glowing bright orange. Several on its back and its chest. One on each elbow and knee – the bulb on the right knee had bursted into a flood sparks when it landed on the ground – and several sticking out of a big lump of what she assumed was its head.

It had no eyes, no nose, mouth or ears. No hair either.

The creature got up to its feet, swaying as it tried to balance, then turned to face the group. A quick glance around showed the each pod had now gotten rid of its creature, all of them standing in a circle around the combined Group A and B.

In unison, the creatures raised their arm until they pointed towards the sky. Then suddenly, thin blades shout out of the tips of their stubby fingers, out of their toes and their shoulders. The flashes of lightning in the sky shined off the blade's surface, sharp and gleaming silver.

Though the creature's had no mouths, they emitted a deathly, creepy moan from their bodies – a sound that Leo felt through her body more than she heard it. It was loud enough to be heard over the loud crashes of thunder and winds.

Maybe the _Grievers_ would have been better. At least they knew had to fight them and kill them. She kind of missed them, to be honest.

Minho turned around quickly, facing the crowd of still-gaping people surround them.

"There's about one for each of us! Grab whatever you got for a weapon!" he shouted.

 _Can I use Teresa as a weapon?_ She asked to herself.

As if they had heard them, the lightbulb creatures started moving towards them. Their first steps were awkward as they tried to walk on their horrid bodies, but they quickly recovered. They grew study and strong, and quickly became agile. Coming closer to them with every single step.

Newt had taken a long knife from one of the girls from Group B, handing to Leo. He gave her a nod as her grip tightened on the knife, not wanting to let go of the sharp object. He held onto her hand for longer than required before he regrettably had to let go as he took his own weapon.

The two groups separated, Harriet leading and commanding her group of girls.

"Alright guys, this is life or death right now," Minho started as he walked around Group A, staring at each of them. "We need to get into a battle formation…God, I've wanted to do this for so long."

"Get to the point, Minho," Newt said as he glanced at the group of creatures coming closer.

"Alright. We're gonna form a circle. Get it. A round, tiny circle. Simple, right?"

"I thought you said this was serious," Leo muttered, rolling her eyes.

The two leaders had quickly gotten both of the groups to form a combined close, perfect circle, facing outwards. Tendrils of lightning branched across the bottom of the dark clouds, which only seemed to be a metre above them.

The acrid smell of electricity filled the air, making her almost gag from the horrid smell.

Newt and Leo were side by side, and was stuck beside Thomas and Teresa, who didn't look comfortable with the situation.

WICKED's newest creatures were only a few metres away from them, and her legs were starting to shake as they kept coming closer. She noticed Teresa elbowing Thomas in the ribs and pointing to one of the creatures, indicating that that was the one she was going for.

Leo scanned the entire horde of creatures, trying to find the one that might have looked the weakest. It was one around the middle of the group, and it seemed to be a little slower than the others, but not by much.

"Now!" Minho shouted. "Charge them!"


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:**

Scorch: The Light Orange Bulbous Creatures (Part Two)…

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part Four – The Scorch Trials

She could hear Thomas screaming at the top of his lungs as he held the knife above his head as he sprinted towards his chosen creature. Everyone was quick to follow, all heading towards the one they could attack.

Leo dodged the other creatures charging for them, trying not to worry about the possibility of dying right at the supposed " _Safe Haven_ ".

Four metres away.

Three metres.

Two metres.

The creature had stopped walking, bracing its legs in a fighting stance. Its hands were outstretched as the blades pointed directly at her. The orange lights pulsed, flaring and disappearing, flaring and disappearing, as if the creature had a heart that was beating.

It almost made her stop in her tracks at the mere sight of the creature, but she tried to imagine it as a machine made by WICKED and nothing more than that. Nothing more than a sickened, man-made machine that wanted to kill her.

Just before she reached the creature, she jumped up into the air to try and reach its height, slamming her knife into the creature's chest with as much force as she could muster. It went in about an inch before it clattered against something hard, sending a jolt up her arms and into her spine. She tried as hard as she could to remove the knife from its chest, but it seemed almost impossible to pull out. The creature didn't move, or even make any type of noise. She hung there as she tried to pull the knife out, swinging from left to right as she used all her strength to get the knife out of its chest.

The creature lifted its wrinkled arms, swinging downwards with his blade-stubbed hands where her heard was. She screamed as she kicked her leg against its body, finally pushing herself off of the creature right as the blades swung down and clattered against each other, right where her head would have been.

She fell down to the ground, crawling backwards as the creature kept coming closer to her. She screamed as she watched it kicking out its feet towards her, the knives from its feet just centimetres from her eyes.

The creature roared – the sound very similar to the moans – and dropped down to the grounds as it thrashed its arms around as it tried to stab her. She continued to scream as she tried to move. It missed her by only a few centimetres as it continued to stab the ground. She turned her body, rolling on the ground as she tried to get away.

Her arms were shaking, but she quickly pushed herself back up to her feet at the first chance she could, running as fast as she could across the desert with her knife in a death grip in her hands.

The creature rushed after her, slicing at the air, almost cutting her hair that was starting to annoy her as she continued to run.

Minho jabbed and stabbed with knives in both hands, the creature taking steps back from him.

Newt scrambled across the ground, the creature injured as he stumbled after him.

Leo just screamed when she felt one of the blades slicing her arm, just barely cutting through the skin as she fell to the ground. She scrambled down on the ground as she slashed the knife in the air as she screamed, her arm slowly tricking little bits of blood down her arm.

"Shit," she screamed as she finally made contact with the creature, instead hitting one of the orange bulbs, and it smashed into a flash of sparks, the light immediately disappearing.

She took a second in realisation, suddenly realising what she would have to do to defeat the creature. She quickly pushed herself back on her feet as she dodged the creatures swinging blades, moving her knife and stabbing it into one of the orange bulbs on the creatures back.

She noticed that the creature had become slightly slower, and she gave a little smirk. As long as she kept stabbing and destroying the bulbs, the creature would eventually weaken, and maybe die when they were all destroyed.

The creature kicked out its leg, the blade almost making contact with her knee before she jumped backwards. She lunged forwards, stabbing the first bulb on the creature's chest, making it roar in anger as it slashed at her again.

She dove down to the ground, dodging the constant swinging arms as they kept coming closer and closer to her head. She rolled to the left, taking a quick second to see how the others were doing.

Some of them had gotten the idea and were attacking the bulbs, but most of them hadn't and were slashing at the creature everywhere in desperation, just like she had a few seconds ago.

There were two people lying on the ground, covered in wounds.

Dead.

One boy. One girl.

She knew it was horrible to think, but she didn't have time to mourn over who they might have been. She needed to defeat this creature or else she would die, and would be lying on the ground beside them.

She jumped onto the creature's back, stabbing the second bulb on there. Only one left on the back. While doing so, she ended up slashing through the creature's wrinkled skin, causing it to move and shake her around. She hung onto the back and tried to move her knife down to the last bulb on its back, but she didn't make it before she was thrown off the creature's back, her body slamming into the ground.

She groaned out in pain, but she quickly used this chance and stabbed the orange bulb on its left knee, causing its foot to kick out in reflex. The blade on its foot hit her hand which held the knife, making her scream out in pain as she dropped it down on the ground.

She held onto her hand as she cried out in pain, watching as the blood poured down her hand from the wound. She felt sick to her stomach at the sight, but she had to swallow her vomit as she tried to push herself back to her feet.

She swung her knife in her other hand, and because it wasn't her dominant hand, it missed the bulb on its right leg. It cut through the wrinkled, yellow skin and made it kick its foot again. But this time, she was able to dodge it.

She felt a little light headed, but not from the blood loss, but the nausea in her stomach as she watched some of the other people getting slashed and attacked by the creatures.

She pushed herself up on her good hand, screaming as she lunged for the bulb on the right leg, finally making contact as it exploded into sparks. The creature's legs gave way as it sunk down to its knees, not being able to move its feet anymore. The blades on its feet shrunk back into its fleshy body, making her sigh with relief.

Pop. She made contact with the second one on its chest. Two more to go.

Pop. One on its left arm, making that arm immobile as the blade shrunk back into its hand.

Pop. The third on its back, making it fall backwards as it was stuck on the ground, its chest facing up to the sky. It used its one good arm as it slashed through the air, almost powerless.

Pop. The third on its chest, making the creature roar out in complete anger as its body started shuddering and jerking. The creature continued to slash, and she slammed her knife into the bulb on its arm, finally making the arm useless. There was only one bulb left before it would (hopefully) die from the lack of power.

She held her knife up into the air, only to see a blinding light flash in front of her, the sound of something exploding piercing her ears. She screamed as she was flung to the ground, falling down on her back as her knife clattered on the ground, sliding away from her. She groaned as she felt her ears ringing, her vision fading to black ever so slightly. The creature in front of her had fell to the ground, the burnt smell of it reaching her nose.

She hurled from the horrid smell as it burnt her nostrils, bringing tears to her eyes as she continued to vomit. Once she'd finished, she glanced over at where the creature she had been fighting had been.

Now it was replaced with a giant black hole in the ground, smoking. One of its feet and hands were now laying around the hole, the only remains of what it had been before the lightning strike.

She noticed Thomas staring at her, staring at the black hole and what remained of the creature. She felt sick again, but quickly swallowed it down as she glanced upwards.

The storm had finally started.

The lightning increased as it soon started exploding all of the area, the cracks of thunder deafening out the screams. One of the girls screams was cut off as the lightning exploded, hitting her directly and instantly killing her.

The horrid, burning smell continued to fill her nose, making her start to vomit again. But this time she started to cry. Weep.

It was hopeless.

But then the lightning strikes suddenly stopped, the light only now flashing in the clouds. Instead, rain poured down on them. She felt like she couldn't move, her legs were shaking so much that she knew she would fall back to the ground again if she tried to stand.

She felt a hand grab hold of her arms, gently pulling her up to her feet. Of course it was Newt, the one person who she needed to be with in that moment. She quickly grabbed hold of him and hugged him, crying as she felt it hard to breath. She could hear him breathing in and out, trying to catch his breath from the amount of fighting.

Minho was on the ground, but he started getting back to his feet.

Teresa had slammed her spear into the last bulb on the creature she was fighting, watching it as it collapsed to the ground and died.

Frypan had fell down to the ground and threw up, just as she had done only a minute ago.

Some were lying down on the ground, either dead or just resting, and others were still fighting the creatures – like Brenda and Jorge.

Thunder boomed around them, the lightning flashes sparkling in the rain.

Neither of the two said a word as they stood in each other's embrace, the rain drenching them in an almost calming way. She cried, feeling the weight falling off her shoulders.

Her hand ached, but it had stopped bleeding. Her shoes and the bottoms of her pants had black ash on them from the lightning strike, but luckily she hadn't been close enough for it to damage her.

She had a few cuts on her body, but nothing to life-threatening.

From the corner of her eye, she could see Thomas grab hold of Teresa's hand and start running towards the rounded pods. The lightning started stricking the ground again and Leo screamed as she and Newt quickly dodged one of the lightning bolts, running over to where Minho and Frypan were.

They could see that Teresa and Thomas had reached the pod, climbing into the empty pod on their hands and knees. Brenda and Jorge quickly joined them, and once all four of them had gotten inside, they slammed the pod shut.

"What the hell are they doing?" Leo shouted over the winds, screaming when a lightning bolt would strike near them.

"Getting shelter. Come on, _shanks_!" Minho shouted as he started running for one of the pods, watching as some of the others who weren't fighting the creatures were doing the same.

He bent down on his hands and knees and grabbed hold of the rubbery lining, pulling it up as it opened.

Newt and Leo started running, Frypan right behind them as the rain continued to pour, the lightning strikes increasing as they were almost hit several times. They exploded across the ground, sending dirt and pieces of the desert everywhere.

Her ears were ringing, but she knew that she had to get inside the pod no matter what.

She and Newt quickly reached the pod, Minho already inside of it as he shouted for them to hurry up. The two jumped inside the pod, Frypan right behind them as they all squished inside the pod.

They were standing in a small pool of dirty water, and the smell was horrid as Minho slammed the pod door down, completely encasing them inside.

The pouring rain became a hollow drum along with the explosions of lightning in the distance. All they could hear were each other's deep breaths as they tried to regain as much oxygen as they could.

Leo's ears were still ringing, but she tried her best to ignore it.

"Bloody hell," she whispered out as she held onto her sore hand, it stinging even at the slightest movement she made.

"This is the _Safe Haven_?" Frypan asked as he looked around the pod. "This shucking thing?"

"Yeah, I know," Newt said as he sighed. "Bloody WICKED."

"You know, I kind of hoped WICKED would be nice to us and not make us go through absolute _shucking_ hell just to be 'rescued'," Minho said bitterly. "Maybe when they rescue us, they'll lift us up in the pods and we'll get to rest on giant couches and there will be warm beds for us-"

 _Crack_!

Leo screamed as she hid her head in Newt's chest, the loud crack scaring everyone in the pod.

Something had slammed into the top of the pod, the crash piercing her ears and making them sting. There was a small hole above them in the ceiling, little bits of water dripping down on them.

"Just shucking great," Minho continued.

"Lightning. Just the lightning," Frypan said as he clutched his chest. "Gave me a freaking heart attack."

Newt looked at his watch. "Five more minutes."

The water dripping from the ceiling had formed a puddle at their feet, the horrible smell still lingering.

"Do you think we'll actually get a cure?" Leo asked out of the blue.

"For all we've been through, we better," Minho said as he glanced around the pod, hoping no more lightning would strike it.

 _Crack_!

Another bolt of lightning hit the top of the pod, this time a few centimetres from the other, forming a larger hole. The amount of rain coming into the pod increased, and soon the puddle had started rising, hitting their ankles and rising.

"How much longer?" Leo asked, staring up at the large hole.

"Two minutes."

Another bolt of lightning, but this time it slammed into the ground a metre away from them. The rain kept coming through, this time soaking Leo as it rushed through the hole.

"How much longer can we last?" Frypan asked as he heard another explosion, flinching from the sound.

"Another minute," Newt said.

Then, a sudden sound started from outside. It was faint at first, and it was hard to tell it was even there over the storm, but it was there.

A humming. Deep and low.

It increased in volume, seemingly shaking her whole body inside of the pod.

"What's that?" Newt asked.

"How should I know?" Minho responded, moving closer to the pod door to see if he could have a look. "Probably nothing good."

The walls of the pod started vibrating, and the wind seemed to shake it, almost tipping it over.

"Thirty seconds left," Newt announced.

A bolt of lightning struck the last bit of the ceiling, causing all of the rain to splash in and soak them all to the bone. Frypan yelped as he was hit with the most water, but with the ceiling gone, the deep hum only got louder.

"Do you think that's WICKED coming for us?" Leo asked, watching as the water had reached their knees, slowly coming up to their waists.

"Hell if I know," Minho said. "I'm looking." He started pushing on the door, getting ready to leave if needed. Their shelter was almost gone anyway. A bolt of lightning struck the other side of the pod, and luckily none of them were on that side.

Leo screamed as she rushed to the door, using all of her body weight to push it open. "Quick! We need to get out of here!" she yelled.

Newt and Frypan helped and soon all four had gotten the pod door open, causing them all to fall to the ground as it swung open. Rain poured down on them as they quickly rushed away from the pod.

One bolt of lightning hit the pod, and that was all it needed as it exploded, the pieces of the pod flying through the air as they scattered everywhere.

Leo hide her head as the debris flew over her, and she could Minho shouting at something.

She lifted her head to see something hovering in the air just ten metres off the ground, lowering rapidly down to the ground. It was huge and round, lights flickering and burning thrusters of blue.

It was the _Berg_.

Newt looked at his watch as the last second ticked. "It's WICKED!" he shouted as he pointed up at them. "Right on time."

The _Berg_ touched down on the clawlike landing gears and a huge cargo door as it began to open.

"Let's go! Now!" Minho shouted as he pushed himself to his feet, Newt, Leo and Frypan doing the same as they started sprinting to their _Safe Haven_.

The _Berg_.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN:**

Scorch: Escaping from the Scorch…

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part Five – The Scorch Trials

They ran through the pouring rain, her feet landing on the now, wet mud and trying to dodge the giant pools of water that had formed inside the holes. She almost slipped, but she quickly kept herself standing as she continued to run. The thunder boomed from multiple directions, lightning bolts become simple flashes in the clouds.

Thomas, Teresa, Jorge and Brenda were ahead of them by a few meters, obviously getting a head start on them. Thomas had slipped and fell to the ground, but had quickly gotten back to his feet as he wiped the mud from his face.

The _Berg_ was about twenty metres away, the cargo door fully open as the warm light inside the entrance made her want to run even faster. There were shadowy figures standing there, holding guns as they waited.

"Run!" she could hear Thomas scream from ahead, holding his knife in front of him. Leo slipped again as she found it hard to run in the wet mud, but luckily never fell over. Minho fell over from how fast he was going, and Leo and Newt had to yank him back to his feet by his shirt.

Most of the _Gladers_ and the girls were running beside them, almost catching up to the four in front of them. It was hard to tell who was who because of the bright, flashing lights, but she didn't care as long as they weren't trying to kill her.

From the right side at the back end of the _Berg_ , a dozen of the bulbous creatures appeared, heading for a spot to try and cut them off from reaching the cargo door.

Their blades were slick from the rain, some of them stained with the groups' blood. At least half of them had their orange bulbs destroyed, and their jerky movements and stumbles showed it. But regardless, they still looked as dangerous as before.

The people in the _Berg_ did nothing, just stood there and watched with their guns.

"Go right through 'em!" Thomas yelled again. The rest of the groups picked up their pace, pretty much running side by side Thomas and his group now. With those simple four words, everyone seemed to understand the plan – even with how dangerous and risky it was; to fight off the creatures and get on the _Berg_.

Lightning exploded around them, someone screamed in agony, the rain continued to pour. The wind tore through the air, small rocks hitting her hard as they blew in the wind.

The creatures swiped their blades through the air, screaming as they waited for the groups to attack. She ducked her head as she ran past one of them, heading for the one right in front of her.

It had only three bulbs on its body – one on its chest, one on its left leg and one on its right arm – and she held her knife tighter as she charged for it.

She did what she had the first time and jumped into the air, screaming as she used all her strength and slammed her knife into the orange bulb on its chest. It howled as it tried swinging its blade at her to get her off, but she endured the slashes on her arms until the bulb exploded.

Pop.

She quickly pulled her knife out and fell to the ground, rolling to dodge its kick as the blade just nicked her left arm. She had so much adrenaline flowing through her that she couldn't even feel the pain as she got back onto her feet.

Pop.

She used her right leg to kick the bulb on its left leg, making it burst as it howled again. With both its legs useless, its body slammed to the ground as swung its one remaining arm towards her. It fell down on its back, swinging its arm as hard as it could to try and hit her.

She dodged each time as she raised the knife above her head with both hands. She slammed it down on the remaining bulb with all of her strength, the earth exploding underneath her as a lightning bolt struck nearby.

Pop.

The last bulb exploded as the entire creature's body shook and fizzled, howling one last time before it finally stopped moving.

Dead.

Only then did the cuts on her arm start to sting, and she hissed in pain as she tried her best to cover them with her hands. She turned to see how the others were doing.

Newt and Brenda were working together, and had just stab the last remaining bulb on the creature.

Minho and Jorge were finished, standing side by side as they tried to catch their breath.

Thomas was looking around at all of them, searching to see if anyone of them needed help. But he quickly realised that everything was fine.

A few seconds later, it all ended.

No creatures moved.

No orange lights shone off them.

It was over.

The _Berg_ was only five metres away, the thrusters igniting. She gasped as she watched the _Berg_ slowly start to lift off the ground.

"It's leaving!" Thomas screamed as he pointed at the _Berg_. "Hurry!"

She didn't waste a second as she sprinted as fast as she could towards the _Berg_ , noticing that everyone was right beside her. She pounded her feet into the mud, hearing the cracks of thunder behind her, flashes of lightning filling the sky.

A scream.

There were people beside her. People behind her. People in front of her, but not many as someone of them started decreasing in speed.

The _Berg_ was now a metre off the ground, slowly rising and turning at the same time, ready to take off at any second.

Leo, using all of her speed, was one of the first of reach the _Berg_. She, two _Gladers_ who had been closest to the _Berg_ and three of the girls from the Group B all dove onto the platform of the cargo door.

Leo jumped up into the air, slamming her hands down on the metal floor as her stomach was halfway on the edge. One of the boys grabbed hold of her arm and helped her in. She swung her right leg over the edge, rolling herself through and onto the ground.

She took many deep breaths as she lied there for only a few seconds before she rushed to the edge to help pull up others.

She grabbed hold of Newt's hand and helped pull him up, and then they quickly went to help the others got on. Most of the groups were inside now, only four people hanging over the edge waiting to get on.

The _Berg_ was now two meters off the ground as it started to tilt.

Leo and Newt helped pull in Emil, while Harriet went and helped a girl from her Group. Minho helped Aris inside, but Brenda held on with her hands as her body dangled in the air.

Thomas dropped down to his stomach, reaching out and grabbing her right arm as Teresa grabbed her left, helping pull her inside.

Leo could feel herself sliding down as she tried to help Emil up, but she felt herself stop before she could scream. Minho slammed his feet onto the ground as he held onto Leo's legs to keep her inside.

She used all her strength and finally her and Newt pulled the shaking and crying Emil inside the Berg, collapsing on the ground as they tried to regain their strength.

She glanced over the edge, only seeing the horrific creatures down below, only now they were just saggy blobs of flesh. Dead.

There were a few of them dead below, but there were not many. One of those happened to be Clint, and she felt guilt rushing through her at not feeling as sad as she thought she would. She felt horrible.

She sat right beside Newt, really hoping that after this they would be let go and they wouldn't have to go through anymore of those _Trials_. She gently reached for his hand, and he interlocked their hands in a second as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

They'd made it.

They'd made it through the _Scorch_.

"Who are these two people?" a voice shouted. She turned her head sharply and saw a man with short red hair, holding a pistol and pointing it straight at Brenda and Jorge. "Somebody answer me!" he screamed.

"They helped us get through the city – we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them," Thomas said before anyone else could say anything.

"You…picked them up along the way?" the man said, snapping his head towards Thomas.

Thomas nodded quickly. "We made a deal with them. Promised they'd get the cure, too. We still have fewer people than we started with."

"Doesn't matter. We didn't say you could bring citizens!"

"You didn't say we couldn't, though," Leo interrupted, making the man sharply turn his head.

"Was I talking to you?" he bellowed, glaring at her before he moved back to Thomas.

The wind blew at her hair, the cargo door still being open even though they were well into the air by now. Any one of them could go tumbling down to their deaths if they hit any bumps along the way.

"Well, you told us to come here, and we did what we had to do!" Thomas yelled, standing on his feet.

The gunman paused. "Sometimes I forget how little you people understand what's going on. Fine, you can keep one of 'em. The other goes."

"What do you mean…the other goes?"

The man clicked his gun, holding the end close to Brenda's head. "We don't have time for this! You have five seconds to choose the one who stays. Don't choose and they both die. One."

"Wait!" Thomas shouted, both Brenda and Jorge's faces turning pale.

"Two."

Thomas closed his eyes, and the others watched in panic at who he would chose, if any.

"Three."

 _Please Thomas, just answer…_ She thought as she closed her eyes, not wanting to look as they shot one of them.

"Four! Chose right now or they both die!"

Thomas opened his eyes and stepped forward, pointing to Brenda.

"Kill her," he said without hesitation.

Leo gasped, not expecting that he would be able to utter those words to anyone, yet alone Brenda, who he had seemed to grow close with during the _Scorch_. She could just imagine Brenda's widened eyes and pale face, her heart probably feeling betrayed.

But when she didn't hear a gun shot, she opened her eyes.

The man jammed his gun into the waistband of his pants, grabbing Brenda by the shirt and yanking her to her feet. He didn't say anything as he moved towards the edge of the cargo door, dragging her with him.

Before he had gotten halfway there, Thomas jumped forward and slammed into the man's knees, tackling him down to the ground.

The gun clattered across the ground, sliding until it landed right in front of Leo's feet.

Brenda fell to the side, but Teresa caught her and pulled her back before she would fall of the edge.

Thomas put his left forearm against the man's throat, holding his arm out in search of the gun.

"Here!" Leo shouted, making him turn his head as she picked up the gun. She threw it in the air, him catching it one handed. He jumped up and held the pistol in both hands, pointing it at the man sprawled on the ground.

"No one else dies," Thomas said, breathing heavily. "If we haven't done enough to pass your stupid tests, then we fail. The tests are over."

The stranger's face softened as he sat up, scooting backwards until he hit the wall. The large cargo door started to close, the loud squeaks hurting her ears.

Everyone was silent was the door slammed shut, one last burst of wind rushing through before it did.

"My name's David," he said. "And don't worry, you're right. It's over. It's all over."

Thomas nodded, mockingly. "Yeah, we've heard that before. This time we mean it. We're not going to sit back and let you treat us like rats anymore. We're done."

David scanned the cargo hold, looking at everyone's faces. They were all agreeing with Thomas' speech. They were done. They were sick and tired of petting WICKED's guinea pigs.

David got on his feet, raising a hand reconciliation. Once he was standing, he placed both his hands in his pockets.

"What you don't understand is that everything has gone and will continue to go as planned. But you're right, the _Trials_ are complete. We're taking you to a place of safety – a real place of safety. No more tests, no more lies, no more setups. No more pretending." He paused. "I can only promise one thing. When you hear why we've put you through this, and why it's so important that so many of you survived, you'll understand. I promise you'll understand."

Minho snorted. "That's the biggest bunch of _klunk_ I've ever heard in my life. About what about the cure? We were promised. For us and the two who helped us get here. How can we believe anything you tell us?"

"Think what you want for now. Things will change from here out, and you'll get the cure, just like you were told. As soon as we get back to headquarters. You can keep that gun, by the way— we'll even give you some more, if you'd like. There'll be nothing else for you to fight against, no tests or trials to ignore or refuse. Our _Berg_ will land, you'll see that you're safe and cured, and then you can do what you want. The only thing we'll ever ask you to do again is to listen. Only to listen. I'm sure you're at least intrigued by what's behind all this?"

"No more games," Thomas said.

"First sign of trouble, we start fighting," Minho added. "If that means we die, then so be it."

David smiled. "You know, that's exactly what we predicted you'd do at this point." He motioned his arm towards a small door at the back of the cargo hold. "Shall we?"

"What's next on the bloody agenda?" Newt asked.

"Yeah, what other kind of _klunk_ are you gonna make us do?" Leo asked, folding her arms.

"Just thought you'd like to eat something, maybe take a shower. Sleep." He walked around the crowd. "It's a very long flight."

The rest of them exchanged glances, wondering if they should bother trusting them. But in the end, they followed.

There was no other option for them.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT:**

WICKED's Third – But Mini - Trials

* * *

Day Fourteen – Part Six

Hot food. Cold drinks. Medical attention. Long, warm showers. Fresh clothes. It all seemed like a dream, too good to be true. The cuts on her arms were healed, and she had even gotten treatment for the stab wound in her shoulder.

She had eaten so much that she felt so full that she couldn't move, but it was one of the best feelings in the world. She had never eaten that much food in her life – of what she remembered of it – and she had almost forgotten what food had tasted like after going for so long without having a proper meal.

The warm shower was one of the best things about being out of the Scorch. She was able to get off all the horrid grime, sweat and dust that had formed during her two weeks inside of the _Scorch_. She felt refreshed, like she was back in the dorms from when WICKED had rescued them from the _Maze_.

As she sat beside Newt, leaning against one of the chairs, she wondered if everything was happening all over again. If this was just another trick to make them feel relaxed, right before they invent another deadly environment for them to run through.

She wondered if this really was the end, and if it was, what would happen to them now? Would they be stuck with WICKED for the rest of their lives, or would WICKED end up killing them?

She wondered if any of the others were having similar thoughts to her, if they were just as anxious about this place as she was.

Newt placed his hand on her knee, dragging her out of her thoughts. He gave her a smile, though she could tell he was thinking the same things as her. Neither of them were completely sure if all their problems were finished, but it was obvious that he really hoped that WICKED wasn't lying to them.

"What are you thinking right now?" Newt asked. She rested her head on his shoulder, taking in a deep breath.

"How unreal this all is," she said. "This just…it seems like a dream."

"A good dream though, right?" he asked and she nodded. He bent his head down to kiss the top of her head, pulling her as close as she could.

"Hmmm…I guess."

She glanced around and saw that most of the _Gladers_ and the girls from Group B were asleep, or close enough to it. Only a few remained awake. One of them being Minho, who was trying to chat up some girl from Group B.

He was failing miserably, as she was pretty much fast asleep and not listening to a single pick-up line he tried on her.

"What a miserable _shank_ ," Newt whispered to her, making her laugh.

"It's so sad at how desperate he is," she responded, loud enough for Minho to hear her.

"Excuse me, this girl is really into me," he said. "Isn't that right…?" He trailed off. "What's your name?" he whispered.

Luckily she wasn't awake to hear it as she slumped over, eventually falling to the ground as she slept.

"I didn't want you anyway," he muttered, making Leo laugh even more. Seeing Minho fail at something he had bragged about doing so much was one of the most entertaining things she could have imagined.

But it soon went quiet, everyone soaking in the silence of the groups. It was an almost calming silence, as most of them drifted off to sleep.

"What's going to happen to us?" Leo whispered, making Newt shrug.

"I have no idea…" She lifted her head off his shoulder as she looked at him. "We have each other right? How bad could it really be?" he asked.

"I think the food's made you delusional," she whispered as she kissed him on the lips, the sweet taste of his lips something she never wanted to forget. If she had never met him during this entire experience, she wondered if she would have even survived the time during the _Glade_.

He was one of the only things that kept her sane. That kept her alive.

"Some of us are still single here," Minho commented bitterly from the other side of the room, making Newt chuckle.

"It's not my fault you can't get a girlfriend," he said cheekily, making Minho raise an eyebrow.

"She's right. You are delusional," he said, closing his eyes as he tried to go to sleep.

Newt turned his head back to Leo, giving her one of his charming smiles. "I love you," he whispered, bending his head to kiss her lips again.

"I love you too," she whispered as she rested her head back on his shoulder, trying to get some much needed sleep. He rested his head on top of hers, trying to do the same, both of them sharing a smile on their faces.

She closed her eyes as she sighed, her body starting to relax. She hadn't felt this peaceful in so long, and she wished this moment could last forever…

* * *

WICKED Headquarters

A searing bright light burned through her closed eyelids, forcing her to wake. She squinted as she tried to open them, the light a deep contrast from the lights from inside the common area of the _Berg_.

Her head was pounding, but she wasn't sure why. She looked around the room, noticing that all of the _Gladers_ were missing, and she was surrounded by pure white walls, the ceiling and the floor also white.

She tried to reach her hand for her head, but she felt some kind of weight on it, restricting her from moving it. She looked down and noticed that both her hands were strapped down on the wooden chair, her ankles also strapped to the legs of it.

She struggled as she tried to break out of the restrictions, noticing that there was no other piece of furniture in the room, nor any other colour besides white. Even the clothes she was wearing were now pure white.

"What the hell! Let me out of here!" she screamed as she tried to escape from the harsh burns that were now forming on her wrists and ankles. The legs on the chair were starting to tilt from the amount of strength she used, only for it to tip over.

She screamed as she fell to the ground, her side hitting the white tiled floor. She screamed again, hoping someone could hear her, but her attempts to try and escape were pretty much useless.

"Where am I? What are you doing to me!" she screamed again, but was only met with silence. She tried to move again, but it only made her headache worse as a pain behind her eyes started to form.

"You're awake I see," a sickening voice spoke, breaking the sudden silence.

She turned her head and saw a large doorway opening, revealing a figure standing there with its hands in its pockets. She squinted as she tried to make out who it was, their tall and skinny self, walking into the room.

The door slammed shut behind them as they walked up in front of her. She could make out the smirk on his face, and she quickly figured out who the figure was.

"What the hell are you doing? Let me out of here! Where are the others?" she cried out, trying to struggle again. He didn't move as he just continued to watch her struggling.

"Where are my friends?" she asked again, and this time he finally answered.

"They're going through their own mini Trials," Rat Man said as he crouched down to be eye-level with her.

"You promised we were done! You promised this would all be over!" she screamed, which only made him shake his head.

"David promised. I said no such thing."

She growled, the pain in her head becoming worse. It was now almost like an itch that she couldn't scratch, driving her insane. "You bastard! You bloody shucking bastard!" she screamed as loud as she could, trying to lunge for him.

Yet he didn't flinch.

She screamed, almost like an animal as she thrashed around, trying to break out of her straps so she could attack him. Something inside of her snapped, and all she wanted was to brutally murder Rat Man.

She wanted his blood spread on the ground.

Her thoughts were fading, any rationality she had before vanishing, almost as if her mind was being taken over by something else.

Scratch his eyes out.

Rip off his body parts, limb by limb.

Stab him at least twenty times.

She just wanted blood.

Rat Man sighed as he shook his head, turning back towards the door. "She's starting, just like we predicted. Bring in the _Bliss_ , we'll have to start the tests this instant."

Only a second passed before the door opened again, a woman wearing all white walking inside, holding a syringe in her hand. It was filled with the almost hypnotic blue liquid that she had been injected with already, and in her dreams.

Her brain was enticed by it, screaming at her to let him inject her with it.

Rat Man slowly unwrapped her wrists, letting them free. But she couldn't attack him. Her head was pounding so much. She brought her hands to her head, screaming and crying as she thrashed about. She grabbed hold of her hair as she tried to rip it out, hoping that would stop the horrid pain.

"She's escalating quickly," he said as he grabbed hold of the syringe, moving it over towards her arm.

She screamed bloody murder once she felt him touching her arm, making her growl at him and lunge for him. The syringe dropped on the ground as she clawed at him.

He screamed out for help as she tried to go for his eyes, trying to rip them out as gruesomely as she could.

He needed to suffer.

He needed to die.

The door quickly opened and two men wearing lab coats rushed in, running towards her. Each grabbed hold of her arm as they roughly pulled her from him, making her scream in protest.

She trashed around like an animal, begging them to let her go so she could claw his eyes out. Rat Man quickly grabbed the syringe and moved towards her. He didn't even check for the vein as he stabbed her arm with the needle.

She screamed and choked out a sob in pain as she felt the liquid slowly dripping into her bloodstream, rushing through her veins and throughout her entire body. She felt almost weak – relaxed even – as the two WICKED scientists let go of her, letting her drop to the ground.

Rat Man stood up, brushing himself off as he gestured for them to tie her hands back up to the chair. "We'll come back in another hour. It'll wear off by then."

The two scientists nodded as the headed towards the open door, followed by the woman. Rat Man looked at the now slumped over Leo, who was still awake but too weak to do anything. She felt almost high, very delusional.

Her headache was gone at least, and the animalistic urges inside of her had vanished as the drug took its effect.

Rat Man walked out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him as he went to sit at his chair. He looked at the cameras in the other rooms, making sure the rest of them were still alive.

"Keep an eye on her. She'll be the hardest one to test," were his last words before the rest of the WICKED workers around him nodded as they left the room, letting Rat Man watch as Leo finally closed her eyes and drifted off into a drug-induced sleep…


	29. Chapter Twenty-Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own The Scorch Trials nor any of the characters from it.

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE:**

WICKED FILES: The Scorch Trials, Group A and B…

* * *

WICKED Memorandum, Date 232.2.13, Time 21:13

TO: My Associates

FROM: Ava Paige, Chancellor

RE; SCORCH TRIALS, Groups A and B

This is not a time to let emotions interfere with the task at hand. Yes, some events have gone in a direction we didn't foresee. Not all is ideal – things have gone wrong – but we've made tremendous progress and have collected many of the needed patterns. I feel a great amount of hope.

I expect all of us to maintain our professional demeanour and remember our purpose. The lives of so many people rest in the hands of so few. This is why it's an especially important time for vigilance and focus.

The days to come are fundamental to this study, and I have every confidence that when we restore their memories, every one of our subjects will be ready for what we plan to ask of them. We still have the _Candidates_ we need. The final pieces will be found and put into place.

The future of the human race outweighs all. Every death and every sacrifice are well worth the ultimate outcome. The end of this monumental effort is coming, and I believe that the process will work. That we'll have our patterns. That we'll have our blueprint. That we'll have our cure.

The _Psychs_ are deliberating even now. When they say the time is right, we'll remove the _Swipe_ and tell our remaining subjects if they are – or are not – immune to the _Flare_.

That's all for now.


End file.
